The light of Ithilwen
by Meian Kurayami
Summary: She was sent there to be safe,but really,her brother should have known she would end up involved in a war.Now she's back home,but home is in even bigger trouble,and he will not get her to stay behind this time,for it is in her blood to fight the darkness. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him...
1. Of Betrayals and Fights

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it ! Please review to tell me what you think of it, and don't hesitate to point out any mistakes you notice, I probably made some since english isn't my mother language.

* * *

Hermione stood in the backyard of her house, blindfolded, a beautiful sword in her hand. She stood still for a few moments, before suddently turning around and blocking the oncoming sword with her own. She started attacking the man who held it, even if she couldn't see him. It didn't ressemble a fight as much as a dance, and she revealed in the feeling of being one with her blade. The noise of crashing swords was like music to her ears, until she heard a women calling for her.

"My lady? There's someone on the phone for you."

"I'm coming, Ladriel. Who is it?"

"It is your friend Harry. He sounds quite urgent."

Hermione frowned as she took off the blindfold and ran inside, grabbing the phone.

"Harry?"

"Mione! Thank God you're there!" He sounded relieved.

"What happened, Harry? Where are you? The Weasleys don't have a phone…"

"I'm at Lunas home. They moved to Grimmauld, Mione, without asking my permission, but it is my house! And they are starting to scare me, Mione! I overheard Ron and Ginny, they…"  
"Harry, don't speak about this on the phone. Take the knight bus and meet me in Diagon Alley. Bring Luna with you, and try to find a way to disguise yourself, allright? I'll be there in ten."

She hung up and called for her guardians.

_Hamon, Ladriel! I need to get to Diagon Alley, and I want you to come with me. I have a bad feeling about this._

She grabbed her sword, which she hid unter her jacket, and a leather postman bag that laid on the floor. The two adults nodded and followed her lead, grabbing their weapons and concealing them in their clothes. Then they used the floo to get to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Psst! Hermione!"

It was Luna signaling to her from the stairs. She nodded once and they went to the first floor, where Luna and Harry were waiting for them. She hugged her friends quickly, before following them inside the room they had rented.

"Guys, those are Hamon and Ladriel. Hamon, Ladriel, Harry and Luna. Now tell me what happened, Harry."

It appeared that Harry had overheard Mrs Weasley talking with her two youngest about him. So far nothing worrying, but when she started telling Ginny she had to hurry to get Harry to love her so that when he died defeating Voldemort, they could get his money, and that Ron had better stop acting jealous or Dumbledore would stop paying him for spying on Harry, said boy had freaked out and had run away from Grimmauld Place and to Lunas home. Said girl had secretly been his girlfriend since Christmas, and only Hermione knew about their relationship, so he was safe there. But Harry had also overheard something about the Gryffindor prefect. In addition to the money he was receiving, Ron had been promised to do whatever he wanted with her.

The killing intent the young woman was radiating once he told her that was enough to make the furnitures shake, and the two adults next to her were exchanging nervous looks.

"I'm going to kill them. And Dumbledore. It wouldn't surprise me if this is some kind of masterplan to be seen as an hero again, and he would probably kill you himself so as not to share the glory. Meddlesome old goat! I bet he had something to do with Sirius' death in june too. We now have to face two foes at the same time. And my brother thought I would be safer here…"she muttered.

_Ithilethiel (Moon Maiden)…_ Ladriel began, but was cut off by a massive explosion that rocked the whole building.

"Deatheaters!" Hermione said somberly. "Harry, Luna, I want you to follow Hamon. _Hamon, bring them to safety. If you have to, take them to our world._

The man looked at her with wide eyes.

_But My Lady…_

_No buts, Hamon Son of Hadon! If the need arose, you shall take them to our world. Take them to the Lady of the Woods, for she will probably have pressented their arrival. Ladriel and myself shall try to aid the fight here, and shall the fight get out of hand, we will leave for Imaldris. I will deal with my brothers anger. Go now!_

With pursed lips, the dark-haired man bowed and turned to the teens.

"Come, young ones. I'll take you to safety."

"Mione!"Harry started, obviously reluctant at running away while she was staying to fight.

"Harry, Luna, I want you to follow Hamon. Trust him with your lives, for he was trusted with mine and has yet to fail me."

"But…"

"Is that clear, Hadrian?" Hermione tonned, using her friends full name for the first time. Her voice was cold and commanding, and she unsheated her sword, imitated by the fair-haired women.

Harry only nodded and followed Hamon to the back of the Inn, searching for a way to escape. Meanwhile, Hermione and Ladriel had come down to the main room of the Inn were Deatheaters were battling against Aurors who were way over their heads. Hermione smirked as she swung her sword in a circle in front of her, just like her brother often did, reflecting two killing curses to their senders.

"You are not welcome here" She said coldly. "Leave now or suffer my displeasure."

The deatheater laughed at that, but their laugther disappeared when they saw that she was sending their spells back at them with astounding accuracy, and turned to looks of fear when she charged them head on, her sword accompanying her in her lethal dance and Ladriel having her back covered. Together, they killed eight of the twenty wizards, ten if you counted the two who had received their own killing curse in the face, before said wizards started fighting back. At first, the two of them managed to keep them off, allowing the patrons of the Inn to flee, but they quickly called for reinforcement, and even the two swordmistresses gulped when they saw the fiftly deatheaters that appeared.

_Ladriel, we have to get out of here. Hamon took the others to the Lady of the Woods, now is our time to go home._

_But your brother…_

_My brother will understand that I am in more danger here than I ever was at home. We are leaving now!_

And with that, she jumped out of the fighting lot and ran upstairs, followed by her guardian. Both of them had suffered some injuries, Hermione having caught the worst of them with a large cut on her shoulder that was badly bleeding., so they had no problem smearing a small amount of blood on the pendants they both wore.

_Take us to Imaldris _Hermione whispered as the door of the room they were hiding in exploded. As the vortex began to take her away, a stray spell hit her square in the back. As she was taken away by the vortex, her last conscious thought was: _Brother is going to kill me._


	2. Of Homecomings and Old Friends

Disclaimer: Like I said in the first chapter, I own nothing, except the plot and the various OCs.

Author note: I want to thank LUNA GURLZ and Fusion for their reviews, and waterflower20, RARRRRRR, preciousteddybear and kylynnjen for adding my story to their alert and/or favorite list. This prompted me to post this chapter since it was already written. However, this is a writing in progress, so the next chapter won't come as quickly as this one.

Enjoy^^ Oh, and by the way LUNA GURLZ, your first guess was right ;)

* * *

When she next oppened her eyes, she immediately took in the fact that she was back in Imaldris. Back _home_. Then she noticed the sleeping man in the chair next to her bed, and the Wizard looking at her from another chair.

«_You gave us quite a fear, Ithilwen Aranhilwen (Moon Kings Heir). Your brother was beside himself. Ladriel has to thank the fact that she is a woman, otherwise he would have hitten her. The Lady of the Woods contacted Lord Elrond. Your friends are safe, if a bit shaken. She told him to give you this message: I will take care of them and you shall met them earlier than you think, Aranel Ithilethiel (Princess Moon Maiden).»_

_«Mithrandir» _she greeted him, bowing her head as much as her sitting position allowed it «_I am delighted to see you again, though I had hoped the circumstances would be different. And what's with all the names you and Lady Galadriel like to give me? I am no princess. How is Middle-Earth doing since I left it?»_

_«Do not deny your blood, Ithilwen. One day you will see what I mean. As for this world… Well, it is a right mess, I am afraid to say. The one Ring has resurfaced. Sauron is growing stronger and Saruman betrayed us. A hobbit brought the Ring to Imaldris. We will held council tomorrow to decide of what to do with it. Now, how about you wake up that brother of yours? You havec been unconscious most of the day, and he didn't left your side once.»_

She thanked him with a nod and laid a hand on her brothers shoulder.

«_Estel (Hope)»_ she called softly, using his elven name.

He woke up like he always did, immediately and totally. Once his eyes found hers, he grabbed her in a bear hug

«_Don't ever scare me like that again! I thought I had lost you!»_

_«Estel… Air!» _she gasped. «_I'm happy to see you too, but there's no need to kill me!»_

_«What were you thinking! Fighting all those by yourself!»_

_«Aragorn!»_ she yelled, using his birth name. «_I am perfectly able to fight off fifty orcs! Thirty and some stupid wizards are nothing!»_

_«You should never have gotten involved in this war!»_

_«Enough!»_ she tonned, and even tough she was younger, shorter and weaker than him, he stopped his rant at once. «_I choose to help my friends because this is who I am. It is in our blood to stand up for what we held true, Estel, and you know it better than me. I would not have been able to live with myself had I done nothing to help them. This is the fate of Isildur's heirs. And be as it may, it is not my fault that the world you choose to hide me in was in such a bloody state!»_

_«I think I'll leave you alone»_ the Wizard said with a chuckle at seeing Hermione rant at her brother.

And with that he stood up and left the room.

The siblings were silent for a moment, until Aragorn broke it.

_«I missed you, Ithilwen (Moon). I should never have send you away. Seeing you only a little more than a year, every eight year…»_

_«I missed you too, Estel»_she answered quietly, relaxing in his embrace._" It is only when I come back that I realise how much I missed Middle-Earth, and you. But I had to learn how to use that magic, because at the time I was a danger to msyelf and to others because I couldn't controle it. Sending me away until I could protect myself, only allowing me to come back every summer, for me, every eight years, for you, was the only choice you had, Estel. But I grieve for the fact that so much time passed for you while for me it was only some months until I saw you again… And every time I came back, it seemed like everything changed yet stayed the same. But not now. Now, everything is darker, and Sauron is rising again. The one Ring has finally been found. What is happening, Onooro (Brother)? I feel fear creeping at the edges of my heart yet I am not afraid, but determined…»_

_«The Ring will have to be destroyed, for no one can control it beside Sauron. As it hails from Mount Doom, it is only in the heart of Mount Doom that it can be destroyed. A small company, no more thant ten or twelve, will have to cross Mordor to bring it there.»_

_«And you wish to be part of it.»_

_«Yes.»_

_«I can see that your choice is made. However, I will accompany you, Onooro, and you know you won't be able to stop me.»_

_«I do know that, but it was worth a try» _Aragorn answered with a small smile. «_But as you said, it is in your blood, the same blood that flows in my veins. However, what shall you do if we win? Will you stay here or go back with your friends?»_

"_It will depend on who dies and who lives, I suppose"_ the Dunedain Maiden sighed. _"But I'll go back, at least for some time, so as to take care of Voldemort once for all, and to make sure Dumbledore stops his meddling. I might need yours and Mithrandirs help with that. But Middle-Earth is home, and as long as it stays home I will always come back to it."_

"_What about your friends? Will they want to take part in our quest? Do they have the abilities to do so?"_

"_Harry and Luna are good fighter – with magic at least. If Hamon can teach them how to fight with a sword, and if they wish to come with us when we see them, I don't think I will deny them this right. However, you or Mithrandir shall have the last say on their participation. If they don't want to, they will probably stay in Lorien, or come to Imaldris. When is the council?"_

"_I will come and get you. When will you have regained your true age?"_

"_The potion will have worn off by the end of the night. Tomorrow I shall be twenty-nine again."_ She yawned tiredly as she started to fall asleep on her brother.

"_Sleep, Ithilwen. I will come and get you in the morning"_ he whispered as he laid her down and tucked her in before leaving the room.

* * *

Okay, since I know the timeline can be a bit complicated to follow, so I made one.

March 1st, TA 2931: Birth of Aragorn  
September 19th, TA 2934: Birth of Hermione  
October 27th, TA 2934: Death of Arathorn, Gilraen takes her children to Imaldris  
August, TA 2943/ August, 1985: After an attack and the revelation that Hermione has a magic unknown in this world, a magic that she cannot control and that is harmful both to her and to those around her, Gilraen, Elrond and Gandalf take the decision to send her to another world where she would learn to control this magic. Gilraen goes with her, along with two other Dunedains, Hamon and Ladriel. They go back to Middle-Earth every summer for two months - one month Earth time is the same as eight months Middle-Earth time, and one year earth time is the same as eight year middle-earth time.  
Febuary 21st, 1988/Febuary 21st, TA 2972: death of Gilraen  
September 1st, 1990: Begin of the first Hogwarts year  
July 7th, 1995/ October 5th, TA 3018: start of this story

Hermiones age: in England: 16, nearly 17 (faking, with the help of de-aging potions)  
in Middle-Earth: 27  
should have been, had she not left Middle-Earth: 84

Hermione spend every summer in Middle-Earth, except the summer after fourth year since she stayed at Grimmauld Place. That makes eight summers, 16 months earth times, a little more than ten years middle-earth


	3. Of Reunions and Mae Govannen, Ithilwen

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

I want to thank Sammie Lupin, cjewellm, fusion, waterflower20 and LUNA GURLZ for their review, as well as the others who added my story to their alerts or favorits lists.

Timeline:

March 1st, TA 2931: Birth of Aragorn  
September 19th, TA 2934: Birth of Hermione  
October 27th, TA 2934: Death of Arathorn, Gilraen takes her children to Imaldris  
August, TA 2943/ August, 1985: After an attack and the revelation that Hermione has a magic unknown in this world, a magic that she cannot control and that is harmful both to her and to those around her, Gilraen, Elrond and Gandalf take the decision to send her to another world where she would learn to control this magic. Gilraen goes with her, along with two other Dunedains, Hamon and Ladriel. They go back to Middle-Earth every summer for two months - one month Earth time is the same as eight months Middle-Earth time, and one year earth time is the same as eight year middle-earth time.  
Febuary 21st, 1988/Febuary 21st, TA 2972: death of Gilraen  
September 1st, 1990: Begin of the first Hogwarts year  
July 7th, 1995/ October 5th, TA 3018: start of this story

Hermiones age: in England: 16, nearly 17 (faking, with the help of de-aging potions)  
in Middle-Earth: 27  
should have been, had she not left Middle-Earth: 84

Hermione spend every summer in Middle-Earth, except the summer after fourth year since she stayed at Grimmauld Place. That makes eight summers, 16 months earth times, a little more than ten years middle-earth

* * *

The next morning, Hermione awoke to the sound of someone singing. Opening her eyes, her face broke in a smile when she saw who was there to wake her up.

"_Arwen!" _she squealed as she shot out of the bed to embrace her best friend.

"_Mae Govannen, Ithilwen"_ the elf smiled as she hugged the Dunedain back. _"It is good to see you again. How are your injuries?"_

"_Totally healed, don't worry. Were you the one to heal me?"_

"_Yes. Ada would have done it, but the Ringbearer, Frodo Baggins, had been hurt by a Nazgul blade, and it took all his knowledge to save him."_

"_Then I thank you, my friend. How are you doing since I last saw you?"_

"_I am well, thank you for asking. Ada send me to wake you up, for he would like you to break the fast with us."_

"_If you help me with my hair, I will be happy to join you."_ Hermione smiled as she accepted the clothes her friend had prepared for her.

It felt good to be wearing this kind of clothes again, she mused as the elven maiden brushed her hair. She was wearing a deep green tunica over brown leather pants and brown leather boots. It wasn't often that women wore pants in Middle-Earth, so she donned an emerald overrobe with golden trim. The deaging potion had worn off, and she now looked her real age again. She had grown a few inches, and her hair was longer and less bushy. Her body had also changed, taking more feminin curbs, and she had gained some muscles, thought it didn't really show. Once Arwen was done braiding her hair, she stood up, ready to join the lord of Imaldris for breakfast. The two friends left her rooms to meet Aragorn and Elrond on the balcony surplombing the elven city.

"_Mae Govannen (Well met)_ _Lord Elrond"_ Hermione curtised._" It is a pleasure to see you again."_

"_Mae Govannen, Ithilwen. __The pleasure is returned, even if I speak for all of us when I say we had hoped you would not return to see our world in such a shape."_

"_It doesn't matter to me in which state this world is, for it is home and I shall fight for it"_ she stated calmly, looking Elrond straight in the eyes. _"For I am a Dunedain, Ranger of the West, Maiden of the Moon and will not allow Sauron to send my home into starless obscurity."_

There was a moment of silence before Elrond bowed his head, lower than he usually did, aknowleding her words.

"_As always you speak wise, Ithilwen Sarrahiniel (Wisechild). Your mind is older than your age, and your words are always spoken with truth. Your presence was missed in Imaldris, and not only by Estel and Arwen. Bilbo Baggins is here also, and I believe he will want to speak with you after the council."_

"_Will I be allowed to attend? For I know most men won't see kindly to the presence of a woman in their midst."_

"_I see no reason not to invite you, and I know better than to try and ban you from attending. You would still come."_

"_You know me too well, my Lord."_

"_Just remember not to deliberately provoke some of those. Everyone will be represented. Elves have come from both Mirkwood and Lorien, as well as some dwarves. Gondor has sent the eldest of the Stewards sons, Mithrandir stands for the Wizard and the both of you stand for the Men of the West. Rohan didn't answer our call, and Mithrandir fears that Saruman has bewitched Theoden King."_

"_It is unlike Rohan not to answer Imaldrises calls"_ Ithilwen commented thougthfully and sadly. "_Mithrandir is probably right, as always. It saddens me that Theoden was brought down by Isengard, for he is a good king and one I gladly call a friend. I hope Mithrandir will be able to do something for him for I know I am not yet strong enough to defeat Saruman the traitor."_

"_Be at peace, Aranel Ithilwen, for I know it is indeed in Mithrandir plans to take care of that particular problem. Enough now about those matters. Tell me more about your friends who Hamon brought to the woods of Lorien. You were gone for a long time, longer than usual, and I wish to know what forced you to come back injured."_

Hermione bowed slightly and started the tale of her last two Hogwarts years. Gandalf, who had them shortly after she started, seemed to grow older and older as the tale went on. When she was done, and when the two women were done calming their brother and father, respectively, down, he sighed.

"_Dumbledore was once a great man, and someone I was proud to think of as a friend, even if he never knew the truth about me. But alas, he, like Saruman, has fallen into insanity. I beg your pardon, Estel, Ithilwen, for having sent you into danger when I should have brought you to safety."_

"_There is nothing to forgive, Mithrandir"_ Aragorn said. "_You had no way to know. I have a question for you, Onoone (sister). Would you prefer to be known as Hermione or as Ithilwen?"_

"_I shall be Hermione if spoken too in common tongue, but Ithilwen for the language of the elves. If said elves and Istari would do me a favour and stop calling me Aranel for I am no princess yet."_

"_We cannot promise that"_ Gandalf answered with a chuckle as she glared at him."_But we shall try"_

"_That's all I can ask for."_

They finished eating in silence, lost in thoughts, until Elrond stood up.

"_The council will begin in an hour. I trust you will all attend? What about you, Arwen?"_

"_I shall not attend, Ada. One woman is already going to cause enough stir as it is. But I will want to hear about it."_

"_Then I leave you all to your own devices until then. Ithilwen, I believe some of the Mirkwood delegation are known to you and Estel. If you wish to go and greet them, they are currently in the gardens."_

Hermiones eyes lit up.

"_Minuilawen(Dawn) and Faelwen(Justice) are here?"_

"_Along with their brother Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood."_

A huge smile broke her face as she got up and, after bidding her goodbyes and asking Gandalf to give her back her staff before the council, she ran to the gardens.

* * *

And here is the third chapter! I Hope you liked it! As for waterflower20 question, well, you will see in the next chapter^^ And nope, she's not the quiet type. Just wait until you see the next chapter, it should be at your liking ;)


	4. Of old friends and Council Meetings

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

I want to thank **Vicki219, waterflower20,LUNA GURLZ, rosedragonamber and angel de acuario** for their review. Really, I'm surprised this has so much success, this fic alone has now more review that all my others taken together ! It feels awesome, really, to know that people enjoy what you are writing and want to read more. Also, there are a LOT of people who added me in their favorites/alerts list, both the fic and the author part, and I want to thank them with all my heart. Thank you all.

As for **rosedragonamber's question **about wether or not there will be some cool spell-work, I don't know yet. "Wand-magic" doesn't work as well in Middle-Earth as it does on Earth. This is one of the reason why Hermione couldn't be taught to control it in Middle-Earth and had to be taken to Earth. You will know more about this once the Fellowship arrives in Lorièn, since this is when Hermione will see Harry and Luna again. Those two will only play a minor to medium role in this story - the main character is Hermione, and it will stay so.

To **waterflower20**, who guessed, and rightly so, that Hermione wouldn't be the quiet type like her brother, this chapter should be to your liking !

This chapter is longer than the others, but I couldn't bring myself to cut it in two, it just wouldn't be the same. So bear with me, but most chapters will have the same length as the first three rather than this one.

Enjoy!

Timeline:

March 1st, TA 2931: Birth of Aragorn  
September 19th, TA 2934: Birth of Hermione  
October 27th, TA 2934: Death of Arathorn, Gilraen takes her children to Imaldris  
August, TA 2943/ August, 1985: After an attack and the revelation that Hermione has a magic unknown in this world, a magic that she cannot control and that is harmful both to her and to those around her, Gilraen, Elrond and Gandalf take the decision to send her to another world where she would learn to control this magic. Gilraen goes with her, along with two other Dunedains, Hamon and Ladriel. They go back to Middle-Earth every summer for two months - one month Earth time is the same as eight months Middle-Earth time, and one year earth time is the same as eight year middle-earth time.  
Febuary 21st, 1988/Febuary 21st, TA 2972: death of Gilraen  
September 1st, 1990: Begin of the first Hogwarts year  
July 7th, 1995/ October 5th, TA 3018: start of this story

Hermiones age: in England: 16, nearly 17 (faking, with the help of de-aging potions)  
in Middle-Earth: 27  
should have been, had she not left Middle-Earth: 84

Hermione spend every summer in Middle-Earth, except the summer after fourth year since she stayed at Grimmauld Place. That makes eight summers, 16 months earth times, a little more than ten years middle-earth

* * *

The gardens of Imaldris were one of the places in Middle-Earth that Hermione loved the most. They were beautiful beyond words, and she basked in the peace they radiated before looking for the fair-headed elves that rested there, easily differenciated form the dark-haired elves of Rivendell. Once she noticed them, she took a moment to compose herself before she began walking towards the group of elves, knowing from experience that at least one of them would hear her arrive before she was near them. She was proven true when an apparently young female elf suddently turned around and looked straight at her. She had long blond hair that fell freely on her shoulders and was wearing a long-sleeved blue dress with silver trim. She scrutinized her for a couple of seconds, gaining the attention of the others, before squeling with delight and running at her, engulfing her in a hug.

"_Ithilwen! You're back! Mae govannen, mae govannen!"_

"_That I am, Minialwen (Dawn), that I am."_ Hermione chuckled at the unelvish manner her friend always behaved."_It is good to see you again, my friend."_

"_You were gone for a long time, yet you have barely aged"_ another young woman with slightly darker hair remarked.

"_Time passes differently in the world I was in, Faelwen (Justice). I arrived just yesterday because of some problems occuring in said realm."_

"_And from the fact that Estel left us in quite a hurry, I have to guess that you came back injured, Lady Ithilwen?"_ The speaker was a seemingly young man with long blond hair and piercing blue eyes.

"_Alas, your guess is right, Legolas of Mirkwood. Mae govannen, my friend. It is an honor and a pleasure to see you again."_

"_Mae govannen, My Lady, and the honor and pleasure are mine. Your presence in our woods was dearly missed thought the Elders likes to pretend otherwise. To their defence, I have to say that, between my sisters, your brother, Elladan, Ellrohir, yourself and I, they barely had a moment of peace."_

Hermione blushed slightly at the comment, for she knew it was the elfs way of saying he had missed her.

"_I do hope to be able to visit Mirkwood soon"_ she answered "_If the Elders will let me. I am done with pranking, but the Woods of Mirkwood will always held a special place in my heart. Are you all coming to the council?"_

"_I do not think anyone would dare and deny you anything, My Lady. As for the council, I shall attend with Faeron and Rhevanion. My sisters wished to visit Arwen, so my father ordered an escort to accompagny us."_

She nodded in understanding before being grabbed by the elven princesses who wished to catch up with her. They spent the remaining hour before the council chatting happily, until Legolas warned them about the time. The group going to the council took it's leave while the others remained in the gardens.

As they were walking to the stone balcony where the council was to be held, Faeron asked politely:

"_Pardon me, Lady Ithilwen, but did you come to lead us to the council or to attend it yourself?"_

"_I will attend the council of Elrond, with his permission. Does this bothers you, Faeron son of Eldon?"_

The elf had the decency to look appologectic.

"_No, my Lady, of course not. Please forgive my rudeness."_

Legolas smiled slightly.

"_You do not know this lady yet, Faeron. She is sister to Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and would have attended even without Lord Elronds permission."_

"_Indeed my friend, she would have"_ Aragorn said from behind them, before switching to the common tongue. "Which is exactly why Lord Elrond allowed her to come. I appologize for leaving so abruptly yesterday, but my sister came back hurt and I was worried."

"You worry too much" Hermione muttered as she stopped suddently. "Go ahead brother, I am only waiting for Gandalf to arrive as he promised to give me back my staff. By the way, when shall you assess my skills, for did not had time to do so this morning?"

"Is after the council allright for you? Then we shall do it then. Don't linger too much, little sister."

"I won't, don't worry."

And with that the mens went ahead while she waited for the Wizard. Once he arrived, he handed her the silver-grey staff with a saphire gem fixed at the top.

"I took great care of it while you were away. Do you have your wand also?"

"In a holster on my arm. And _Isilme (Moonlight)_, my trusted sword, hangs at my side as you can see. Thank you for this, Gandalf." She said as she passed the strap on so as to have the staff on her back like others had their bows."Shall we go in? I do believe we are the last."

The Grey Wizard nodded and together they walked to the balcony.

When Hermione stepped on the stone plateform, every head turned at her. Some, like Legolas and Elrond, were smiling slightly, but the dwarves and the men seemed disturbed.

"What is a woman doing at a war council?" a man of Gondor asked, standing up.

"I am here with permission of Lord Elrond, Boromir son of Denethor." She answered, having memorized the names of everyone in attendance. "Does my presence here bothers you?"

"Yes it does! War is not of the ressort of women!"

As one, Gandalf, Elrond, Legolas and Aragorn face-palmed. "_Now he has done it"_ the elven lord muttered as Hermione walked up to the man, looking quite menacing even thought she was smaller by a good head.

"Tell me, Boromir, son of Gondor, do you think women are weak? Do you think they cannot fight? If so, let us settle this now for neither my sword nor my staff are there for show! I am apprentice to Gandalf the Grey and was brought up by the house of Elrond! I am of the Dunedains, a Ranger of the West, and my sword has slayed many, orcs and men alike. I arrived here yesterday from a quest in another realm where I was fighting in a war of magic-user and monsters worse thant orcs. Don't you dare tell me I don't deserve to be here, for you would be insulting the elves, the men of the West and Gandalf, as it were them who trained me in the arts of war. As for you, dwarves, I am disappointed in you, for I remember fighting by your side more than two decades ago when one of your mines was targeted by orcs, and yet you seem to think that I do not deserve to be here."

"Lady Hermione? Is that really you?" A red-headed dwarf asked.

"It is me indeed, Gimli son of Gloin. I do believe you owe me a dagger still."

"Okay, let the lass attend!" the dwarf said immediately, surprising the gondorians by his vehemence. "Trust me, I have seen the lass with a sword. You do not wish to cross her."

"If everyone is done…"Elrond said, interrupting "Maybe we can begin?"

The Gondorian had the decency to look ashamed, but Hermione was smirking when she bowed her head slightly in the elven Lord's direction.

"_He was asking for it"_ she whispered in elvish, receiving an eyerolling in response.

"_Behave._ Strangers from distant lands, friends of old you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction, none can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom. Bring forth the ring, Frodo.

Hermione watched as the hobbit, Bilbo's nephew if her memory was right, stood up and laid the ring on the stone. For a moment, all was silent. Then, Boromir spoke.

"So it is true. In a dream, I saw the Eastern sky grow dark. But in the West, a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, "The doom is near at hand, Isildur's Bane is found." Isildur's Bane…"

He reached for the ring, not heading Aragorn's shout of alarm. But then Gandalf spoke, in a tongue Hermione had only heard once, and never in Imaldris.

"Ash Nazg Durbatuluk, Ash Nazg Gimbatul, Ash Nazg Thrakatuluk, Agh Burzum-ishi Krimpatul!"

The sky darkened, and everyone shivered uncontrollably as the air started to rumble. Boromir backed away quickly, as if burned.

"Never before has anyone dared utter words of that tongue here, in Imaldris!" Elrond snapped at Gandalf.

"I do not ask for pardon, master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil. "

Boromir apparently thought otherwise, for he spoke up again.

"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him."

He was, however, interrupted by the Dunedains siblings.

"You cannot wield it. None of us can."Hermione said calmly. "Thinking otherwise is foolish."

"The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master" Aragorn added.

"And what would rangers know of these matters?"Boromir sneered angrily.

Hermione was about to retort, but Legolas beat her to it.

"They are no mere rangers! He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and this is his sister, Lady Hermione" he said angrily. "You owe them your allegiance!"

Boromir freezed suddenly, his eyes fixed on the siblings while Hermione laid a hand on Legolas shoulder to thank him.

"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor!"

"_Havo dad (sit down)_ Legolas" Aragorn said calmly.

"Gondor has no King. Gondor needs no King."Boromir spat angrily.

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Gandalf stated, bringing the council back to the original topic.

"You have only one choice. The ring must be destroyed." The Elvin lord explained while scrutinizing the assembled.

"What are we waiting for?" Gimli huffed as he jumped, axe in hand, and hit the Ring with all his might. There was a bang, a flash, and he was thrown back. His weapon was destroyed, but the Ring was untouched.

"The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. The ring must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this." Elrond stated, looking each member of his council straight in the eyes. But only Hermione noticed that his eyes lingered longer on Frodo than on the others.

Again, Boromir spoke up, this time sounding a bit desesperate.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The great eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash, and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!"

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The ring must be destroyed!" Legolas argued, defending the Elvin Lord.

"I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli huffed.

"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" the Gondorian asked sarcastically.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf! Never trust an Elf! » Gimli roared.

This, of course, started a massive argument between the elves, dwarves and gondorians, with Gandalf trying to calm the others and Hermione, Aragorn, Elrond and Frodo observed. They observed, that is, until Frodo stepped up.

"I will take it!" he said, but the others didn't hear him.

"I will take it!" He repeated, louder this time.

The fighting stopped as everyone turned to look at him. Gandalf, Hermione noticed from the corner of her eye, seemed suddenly very old, as if Frodo's answer caused him great pain.

"I will take it" Frodo said again, "Though I do not know the way."

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins," Said Gandalf, stepping forward. "As long as it is yours to bear."

**« **If by my life or death " Aragorn started as he kneeled in front of the hobbit «I can protect you, I will. You have my sword... "

"And you have my bow!" Legolas jumped in.

"And my axe. "The dwarf threw in, not one to be left out.  
« You carry the fate of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done. "the son of the steward said.

« Hey. Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" Sam shouted, coming from behind a potted plant.

"No, indeed. It is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Elrond said dryly.

Hermione's chuckle turned into full-blown laughter when the two other hobbits jumped in.

"We're coming too!" one of them said.

"Yes, you will need someone with intelligence on this mission…quest…thing!" the other added.

"Well, that rules you out, Pip." The first one said sarcastically.

"Maybe, but that rules me in, Master Hobbit."Hermione said as she mirrored her brothers' earlier actions by kneeling in front of Frodo, her wand in her right hand and her left on the pommel of her sword. "My wand, my staff, my sword to protect and aid you in your quest." She swore, looking him straight into the eyes and ignoring her brother nearly unnoticeable wince as she did so, knowing that he had hoped she would not place herself in any more danger. Really, she thought, he should know better by now.

"Ten companions" Elrond stated before Boromir or anyone else could protest the inclusion of a woman in such a perilous quest. "From this day on you shall be known as the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great! Where are we going?" Pippin asked, causing everyone to stare at him while Hermione burst into laughter again.

* * *

So? What did you think ?


	5. Of valour and heart to heart

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

Okay, first of all I want to apologize for taking so much time to update. Alas, I had a VERY bad case of "real-life-itis", aka mock final exams and deciding where I want to study next year, as well as some personnals problems I had to take care of before I could write anything. I promise I'll try not to make you wait as long next time, especially since this story is already written on paper, but not on the computer, up to the moment in Lorien. The next chapter should be up this evening, as an apology to all of you for having waited so long (and because this chapter is really short).

I also wish to thank waterflower20, angel de acuario, ginsensu, LUNA GURLZ, len, Robin Grimm-Goodfellow, Darkness-Lightness, RoseXshapedXtears, ChemJr, Kamai6, LeonaMasha and ashes9492 for their review, as well as all the people who added my story to their favorites and/or alerts list.

Timeline:

March 1st, TA 2931: Birth of Aragorn  
September 19th, TA 2934: Birth of Hermione  
October 27th, TA 2934: Death of Arathorn, Gilraen takes her children to Imaldris  
August, TA 2943/ August, 1985: After an attack and the revelation that Hermione has a magic unknown in this world, a magic that she cannot control and that is harmful both to her and to those around her, Gilraen, Elrond and Gandalf take the decision to send her to another world where she would learn to control this magic. Gilraen goes with her, along with two other Dunedains, Hamon and Ladriel. They go back to Middle-Earth every summer for two months - one month Earth time is the same as eight months Middle-Earth time, and one year earth time is the same as eight year middle-earth time.  
Febuary 21st, 1988/Febuary 21st, TA 2972: death of Gilraen  
September 1st, 1990: Begin of the first Hogwarts year  
July 7th, 1995/ October 5th, TA 3018: start of this story

Hermiones age: in England: 16, nearly 17 (faking, with the help of de-aging potions)  
in Middle-Earth: 27  
should have been, had she not left Middle-Earth: 84

Hermione spend every summer in Middle-Earth, except the summer after fourth year since she stayed at Grimmauld Place. That makes eight summers, 16 months earth times, a little more than ten years middle-earth

* * *

« You are not seriously thinking of allowing a woman to come with us ? » Boromir asked, looking straight at Gandalf after the council had ended.

"And why not, Boromir? She is very skilled, both in the arts of magic and in the arts of fighting. Like she said, she spent the last twenty-one year for us, seven years for her, in another world where she fought in a magical war. She may seem young, Boromir, but she is wiser than most, and Isildur's blood flows in her veins. The blood of the Kings of Gondor."

"But she is but a girl!"

"She is no mere woman. But if you still doubt her value, go to the hall. She is being tested by her brother in swordfighting. It should be an eye-opener."

Lots of onlookers had gathered in the hall once it was known that the two rangers were swordfighting. It had been long since the last time those two had crossed swords, and everyone wanted to know if the sister would finally be able to defeat the brother.

This was how Boromir found them, circled by curious elves, standing in front of each other, swords in hand. They stood still for a few minutes, until Aragorn suddently charged. Hermione side-stepped, blocking expertly, before pushing back her brothers sword with Isilme, her own sword. Then she feinted left and attacked right, only to find Aragorn already there, intercepting her blade.

The fighting went on for more than thirty minutes, and only stopped when Aragorn managed to bring the point of his sword to her neck, only to find himself with her sword pointed at his heart. The whole hall held its breath until the siblings put their swords away, laughing heartily.

"You have improved."he said approvingly."You managed to stallmate, without using magic."

"You have improved as well, _Onoono(Brother)_. I thank you for this fight."

They bowed to each other before taking their leave, leaving an astounded audience behind. Boromir was stumped. How was he supposed to argue against her presence in the Fellowship when she was probably better with a sword than him?

The Fellowship was to leave Imaldris three days later. The remaining time was to be spent training the Halflings in the use of their swords. This was Aragorn and Boromirs task. Hermione spent most of her time with the elves of Mirkwood and Arwen, and with Gandalf, training in the arts of Istarian Magic.

The night before the departure, Hermione saw a distraught Arwen arrive in her rooms. She had been brushing her hair, prepairing for the night, but she stopped immediately when she was her friend.

"_Arwen?What happened?"_

"_Estel… He wants me to leave for the Undying Lands."_

Hermione sighed.

"_I know my brother well, Arwen. He loves you, but doesn't thinks himself worthy of your love. And your father didn't help with that. So he wishes for you to leave this dangerous lands so you could be safe, like he did with me when I was injured by orcs. But deep inside, he is breaking. He doesn't want to lose you, but he is sure you deserve better than him. And he's an Idiot, we both know that."_

"_He's stupid! It's him I want! He is the one I love! I want no other, and wil have no other, for I have already given my heart to him."_She brought her hand to her heart, and Hermione noticed that her pendant wasn't around her neck. She gasped.

"_You made your choice!"_

"_The life of the Valar still flews in me."_Arwen whispered."_But I gave him my heart, and the pendant of Luthièn, for I do not wish to live forever without him."_A single tear rolled on her cheek, and Hermione gathered her friend in her arms.

"_I thank you, Arwen Undomiel, for you are the one whose memory kept my brother from doing something stupid while I was away. I thank you even more for the gift you just gave him, the greatest gift one could give someone: love. I am happy that I may one day call you sister. You two are bound by the strongest love I've ever seen, and your love shall survive everything. You will have your happy end, Arwen. Do not despair, and when your head doubts, trust your heart for it will never lead you astray."_

Arwen nodded in thanks, and took a moment to compose herself.

"_Thank you, Ithilwen. You speak wise, as always. I shall not lose hope yet. Will you promise me to be careful on this journey? Neither Father, nor myself, would take it very good if you were to die. I know he sees you as another daughter…"_

"_I will. And I will keep an eye on my brother, so Elrond Elvenada (Elrond elven father) can accept him as another son."_

"_For that, you would have to convince him to take his rightful place in Gondor, for my father will not allow me to wed any man less than a king of Gondor and Anor, as he told us some time ago…"_

"_He did? No wonder onoono doesn't think he's good enough for you!"_the Dunedain sighed."_Estel fears his birthright, for he doesn't think he could be a good king. We both know that he is wrong, but the truth is that he is scared of his destiny. But do not give up on him yet, Evenstar, for he shall come to see the man he is already. What does your heart tells you?"_

"_That all shall be well in the end."_Arwen whispered before standing up. "_I thank you again, Ithilwen. It is good to have you back, even if you leave again tomorrow. Dream well, mellon nin(my friend)."_

"_Dream well, Arwen."_she answered with a smile as the elf left.

As she went to sleep that night, she realised that, despite what she had said to Arwen, convincing Aragorn to take up the mantle of the King of Gondor wouldn't be easy at all. Oh well. She had faced worse, hadn't she? She _did_ manage to convince Harry to teach the DA, after all…


	6. Of worries and brothers

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

Like I said in the previous chapter, I felt really really bad about the time that passed between updates, so here is chapter six, as promised. He is also longer than chapter five, who was, in my opinion, way too short, but I couldn't possibly integrate it in chapter six, so it had to stand alone.

Special thanks to waterflower20 who was very quick to review chapter 5. Yeah, that part made me laugh while writing it, and, really, Aragorn and Harry have a lot in common when you think about it... but Aragorn would still kick Harry's butt ;) What, me, partial? Face it people, Vigo Mortensen, especially as Aragorn, is WAY hotter than DR. And even in the books, there's no comparaison to make. Aragorn rules!

Timeline:

March 1st, TA 2931: Birth of Aragorn  
September 19th, TA 2934: Birth of Hermione  
October 27th, TA 2934: Death of Arathorn, Gilraen takes her children to Imaldris  
August, TA 2943/ August, 1985: After an attack and the revelation that Hermione has a magic unknown in this world, a magic that she cannot control and that is harmful both to her and to those around her, Gilraen, Elrond and Gandalf take the decision to send her to another world where she would learn to control this magic. Gilraen goes with her, along with two other Dunedains, Hamon and Ladriel. They go back to Middle-Earth every summer for two months - one month Earth time is the same as eight months Middle-Earth time, and one year earth time is the same as eight year middle-earth time.  
Febuary 21st, 1988/Febuary 21st, TA 2972: death of Gilraen  
September 1st, 1990: Begin of the first Hogwarts year  
July 7th, 1995/ October 5th, TA 3018: start of this story

Hermiones age: in England: 16, nearly 17 (faking, with the help of de-aging potions)  
in Middle-Earth: 27  
should have been, had she not left Middle-Earth: 84

Hermione spend every summer in Middle-Earth, except the summer after fourth year since she stayed at Grimmauld Place. That makes eight summers, 16 months earth times, a little more than ten years middle-earth

* * *

The next morning found the Fellowship at the gates of Rivendell, along with Elrond, Arwen, Bilbo and some of the Mirkwood delegation. Now was the time for goodbyes and farewells, and for some of them it was harder than for others. The fairheaded elven princess were embracing their brother, and Minialwen was oppenly crying, much to Legolas dismay. Frodo and Bilbo were also locked in a hug, the older hobbit looking so much older now that the ring wasn't in his possession, age having finally caught up with him. Seeing that Aragorn and Arwen wanted to have a moment alone, Hermione hugged the elf quickly before turning to face Elrond. Then, to the shock of everyone present, she ran up to him and hugged him tightly, burrowing her face in his shoulder. Surprised by her actions, the Lord of Imaldris closed his arms around her and akwardly hugged her back.

"_I am going to miss you."_she whispered in elvish, invisible tears rolling down her face. "_It is not fair that we shall be separated so soon after I'd finally come home…"_

Elrond stroked her hair gently.

"_Do not despair yet, Ithilwen, for I can promise you we will see each other again before the end, whatever the end will be."_

"_I am going to miss you nonetheless, Ada (father)."_she murmured softly, for his ears only, her face pressed in his torso. It was the first time she called him _Ada_, despite the fact that he had always seen her as a second daughter. But she had always, unconsciously, be afraid of betraying her birth father, whom she had no memory of, and of being rejected by the man who had raised her, and hadn't dared to call him _Ada_ before.

Elrond's embrace thightened a bit as he lowered his head to whisper words of comfort in her ear.

"_And I am going to miss you too, Seldè (daughter). Be strong, and take care of yourself and of that stubborn brother of yours. Despite what he might think, I do whish for his and Arwen's happiness."_

"_I promise, Ada. Stay safe."_

"_May the Valars watch upon you, Ithilwen" _he breathed in her ear before finally letting go of her.

"_And may they keep Imaldris peaceful"_she replied. All traces of tears were gone, and no one had noticed that she had been crying.

She nodded once at him and turned around, facing the rest of the Fellowship as Aragorn and Arwen rejoined them.

"Shall we, Gandalf? For the road to Mordor is a long one, and we should not linger."

"Spoken wisely as always, Hermione. Let us go then." The older wizard said after bowing to the Lord of Imaldris.

And so the company left for Mordor. The hobbits were excited, even if a bit apprehensive. Gandalf looked calm as always, while Legolas was scruting the road ahead of them with a simber eypression. Gimlli was talking with Boromir about the advantage of an axe and of a sword, but the Dunedains were grim for they were leaving what had always been their home for maybe the last time. Aragorn espescially was somber for it was very possible that Arwen would have departed for the Undying Lands even if he survived this.

* * *

They walked for days, Aragorn, Boromir and Hermione teaching the Hobbits how to fight along the way. They were currently resting on a small mountain, Boromir training with Merry and Pippin with Aragorn throwing his piece of advice from time to time. Hermione was sitting on a large stone, facing the way they had come from, to the direction of the Last Homely House. That is the reason why she was the first to notice the black cloud coming at them against the wind.

"Legolas! What do your eyes sees?" she yelled at the elf, standing up at once.

"It is only a cloud" Gimli muttered. "Gandalf, if you ask me, we are taking the long way around! We could go through the Morià! My cousin Balin would give us a most royal welcome!"

"No Gimli, I would only go through the Mines of Morià if I had no other choice" Gandalf said with finality.

"Crebain from Dunland! Spies of Isengard" Legolas yelled, having identified the raven-like birds coming at them at high speed.

"Take cover!" Aragorn ordered, tackling the hobbits.

Everyone rushed to obey, except for Hermione who took out her wand from behind the rock she was hiding under. When the Crebains came flying over them, she whispered, praying to the Valar that the spell would work:

"**Expecto Patronum!**" and a silver raven leaped out of her wand and began chasing after Saruman's winged spies, dispersing them.

"The gap is watched, Mithrandir!"She told the other wizard.

"We should take the pass of Rohan!" Boromir argued.

"No! It would take us to close to Isengard!" Aragorn objected.

"Then let us go through the Mines!" Gimli grunted.

"No!" Gandalf's voice was strong and unyelding. "We shall take the path of Caradhras."

Hermione took one look at the snow-covered mountain visible in the distance, and groaned before turning to Legolas.

"You are taking my bags." She said flatly.

"And mines." Aragorn added.

"But why…?" the elf was confused.

"Because you are the only one among us who will not be burried to the waist in the snow of those damned mountains!" Hermione growled angrily. "And the pony is charged enough, so don't even think of putting all our bag on his poor back!"

She stood up and went to join her mentor who was walking ahead of the group.

"_Mithrandir, Caradhras is always a dangerous path to take, espescially in this season. What dwells in the Mines of Morià that has you afraid?"_

"_The dwarves digged too deep, Ithilwen, and they awoke something that should never have been. A demon of the ancient ages…"_

"_You mean a Bal…Fire and Shadow joined in one?"_

"_Yes. Do not tell the other this, Ithilwen, for we might have to pass through the Mines in the end, but if the need should arise I will fight it while you and Estel take the Fellowship to the Golden Wood for Galadriel will be able to guide you further."_

"_Do NOT speak like that, Mtihrandir!"_she hissed"_You shall NOT die, not on MY watch! For if you do I'll hunt you down just for the pleasure of killing you myself!"_

Worried by her loud upburst, though he did not hear the words, Aragorn joined them.

"_What is the problem here, Onoone?"_

"_Mithrandir is saying stupid things!"_she humphed, conscious that she was acting like the teen she was in Britain and not like the Lady she was in Middle-Earth, before walking back to the others and striking a conversation with Boromir, much to the later's surprise.

"My Lady" he greeted, somewhat wary.

"Boromir" she nodded" How is your brother doing?"

"How do you know my brother?"

"I came back every eight years for the equivalent of sixteen months. That was two months every summer in the world I was in. Last year, or eight years ago for you, I met your brother while I was looking for an ancient document. Of course, I wasn't going by my birth name, so he might have spoken of a woman called Eryn."

"_You're Eryn?_ My brother couldn't stop talking about you for _months!_ He practically worships the ground you walked on!"

Hermione chuckled softly at that, remembering the young man.

"I would imagine, yes. He is very knowledgable and helped me a lot in my resaerch. He is also the first man I met who speaks and reads elvish fluently, both Quenyan and Sindarin! So how is he doing?"

Boromir sighed.

"I hope he is fine. He wished to be the one to come to Rivendell, and he would have been the better choice but, alas, my father thinks the world of me and the worst of Faramir. He told Faramir that he was just trying to gain some glory and that I, at least, would not dissapoint him. So I left and my brother was sent to Osgiliath to defend it from the frequent attacks."he sighed again "He should have been the one to go. It has always been his dream to meet elves, dwarves and Halflings, and he would have been delighted to see you again."

"I am sure he is doing well" Hermione smiled, though she too was worried for her friend. "He is a good man and if I remember correctly, he was gifted with foresight. He will be fine, and I shall go back to the White City before the end of this Quest."

"You seem fonder of Gondor than your brother" Boromir couldn't help but note.

Hermione chuckled sadly.

"I had better experiences in these lands than him, and while I am of the line of Numenor, it is he who shall take up the mantle of the King, not me. It is a lot of responsibility for him, and he doesn't think he could make a good king. And, no offence, but the whole "Gondor has no King, Gondor needs no King" didn't help his self-confidence on the matter. But he saw the White City forty years ago, and he came back changed."

Boromir was silent for a moment, before speaking again.

"Then I hope he can see that not everyone will react like that, and I shall appologize for my earlier words. I was angry and spoke without thinking, only repeating my fathers words."

"**Denethor is slowly but surely falling**" Hermione said in an eery voice. "**Soon, Gondor will need to fight. But all that is gold does not glitter; Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither; Deep roots are not reached by the frost; From the ashes a fire shall be woken; A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed will be the Blade that was Broken; And the crownless again shall be King."**She shook her head and her voice went back to normal. "But enough of the gloomy talk. You might want to put on something warm, Master Boromir. Caradhras is freezing in this season."

And with that she quickened her pace until she was walking with Legolas. The elf gave her one of his rare smiles as he reshouldered her backpack, and they started talking quietly in elvish.

* * *

Frodo stumbled and fell in the snow. Aragorn caught him just as he started to roll down.

"Allright there Frodo?"

The hobbit nodded weakly as his hands went to grip the ring, only to find it gone. He looked up and saw Boromir holding it.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing…" the son of the Steward said in a far-away voice.

"Boromir!" The ranger toned. "Give the ring back to Frodo!"

The Gondorian looked back and forth from his hand to the hobbit, and Aragorn laid his hand on his sword.

"Boromir!" It was Hermione this time, who strided towards them.

The man tensed a bit, before relaxing and handing the ring back to Frodo.

"Take it! I don't care anyway!"He laughed, and it sounded hollow.

The siblings exchanged worried glances over Frodo's head.

"I _hate_ Caradhras" Hermione muttered as she turned around and made her way to the only elf of the Fellowship.

* * *

They were walking on a narrow path flanking the mountain when Hermione felt the storm strengthen. She grabbed her staff from her back and strained her ears, mentally damning the fact that her wand would be of no help here.

"There's a fell voice in the wind!" Legolas yelled, trying to be heard over the storm.

"Saruman!" Gandalf yelled back, grabbing his own staff with both hands and muttering old spells.

"We have to turn back!" Aragorn objected "This will be the death of the Halflings!"

"If you can't go over the mountain, just go under it!" Gimli added his two cents.

"No! We WILL pass!" Gandalf replied.

But after being nearly killed by an avalanche, the wizard was forced to give up on going through the mountain.

"Let the Ring-Bearer decide!" he sighed finally.

And Frodo chose the way of the Mines, much to Hermione's distress for she still had Gandalf's earlier words in mind, and a knot tightened in her stomache.


	7. Of fears, squids and tombs

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

Again, I wish to apologize for the time it took me to type and post this chapter. Real life is quite hectic in the moment, both on the school level and on the personnal level. However, I will try to update more often, but I cannot promise you anything. But I can assure you that I have no intention of abandoning it, so no need to get down on your knee, **Liz **;) though I am very happy that my story found your approval. If I may ask, what was the title of the other cross-over you liked? I would like to check it out. Also, do you have an account on this site?

**Jada951**, I'm glad you liked it! Nope, no saving Gandalf. While it would probably be interesting to see what could have happened had he not fallen in the Morià, it's would be way to complicated for me to write something decent about it. Worse, I would probably give up relatively quickly, and stop writing this fic altogether. And that is something I do not want to happen. Even though I started writing this because I was bored in philosophy, and only posted it because a friend begged me to, I slowly fell in love with it, and, seeing the amount of people who added it on their favourites and/or alert list, plus the ones who reviewed (I was impressed that you took the time to comment the three last chapter individually, most people, me included, tend to comment only the last chapter when they start reading a fic! So thank you very much!), I could not, in good conscience, stop writing it.  
As for Haldir, you will have to wait and see, but I can promise you I've already something in mind for him. I hate the way he died in the film, he was such a great character!

Also, big thanks to **LUNA GURLZ, LeonaMasha and waterflower20** for their review, and to all the others who added me in their favorites or alerts list! It means a lot to me that my fic is so well-received!

This chapter isn't very long, so chapter eight should be out Sunday evening at the latest, as another apology.

Timeline:

March 1st, TA 2931: Birth of Aragorn  
September 19th, TA 2934: Birth of Hermione  
October 27th, TA 2934: Death of Arathorn, Gilraen takes her children to Imaldris  
August, TA 2943/ August, 1985: After an attack and the revelation that Hermione has a magic unknown in this world, a magic that she cannot control and that is harmful both to her and to those around her, Gilraen, Elrond and Gandalf take the decision to send her to another world where she would learn to control this magic. Gilraen goes with her, along with two other Dunedains, Hamon and Ladriel. They go back to Middle-Earth every summer for two months - one month Earth time is the same as eight months Middle-Earth time, and one year earth time is the same as eight year middle-earth time.  
Febuary 21st, 1988/Febuary 21st, TA 2972: death of Gilraen  
September 1st, 1990: Begin of the first Hogwarts year  
July 7th, 1995/ October 5th, TA 3018: start of this story

Hermiones age: in England: 16, nearly 17 (faking, with the help of de-aging potions)  
in Middle-Earth: 27  
should have been, had she not left Middle-Earth: 84

Hermione spend every summer in Middle-Earth, except the summer after fourth year since she stayed at Grimmauld Place. That makes eight summers, 16 months earth times, a little more than ten years middle-earth

* * *

They stood in front of the entrance, waiting for the Wizard to find the correct password. Her brother was with Sam, convincing him to let the pony go, while Gimli and Boromir had started another debate on the advantages of their respective weapons, something that was slowly but surely starting to go on her nerves. Merry and Pippin, the hobbits who reminded her of the Weasley twins, were looking at the lake, bored.

"_What troubles your mind, my Lady?"_ a quiet voice asked from behind her, nearly causing her to jump in surprise.

"_Mithrandir didn't want us to take this path, mellon nin. Did you ever wonder why?"_ she answered quietly in an elvish whisper. "_He fears what the greediness of the dwarves might have freed by digging to deep. He told me it would be up to Estel and myself to lead you if what he fears comes true for he would then stay behind and fight what dwelves in the Mines. I am afraid, Legolas, but cannot allow my fear to show for it would only be worse should the other know…"_

"_Why tell me then, and not your brother?"_

"_Mithrandir is very dear to both mine and my brother's heart. Should harm befall him in the Mines, Estel will freeze – and I fear I will too. I told you because I need your help, Legolas. I need your promise that you will drag us out of there if something happens, and save us you help me get everyone to safety, my friend?"_

"_You know I will, My was no need to ask."_

"_I know. But I still needed the reassurance just in…_Merry! Pippin! Stop it!" she hissed in the common tongue, startling the hobbits who were throwing stones in the lake. "Do. Not. Disturb. The. Water!"

Aragorn came over to them, frowning as he looked at the water. He locked eyes with his sister, who nodded grimly, and ushered the hobbits closer to the gates.

"How do you say "friend" in elvish?" Frodo asked.

"_Mellon"_ Gandalf intoned.

"_A riddle. A bloody riddle."_Hermione growled as the way oppened. "_A simple riddle… I knew I should have taken a better look at the inscriptions!"_ she stomped inside, angry with the world, and barely listened to Gimli's bragging until she saw the corpses and skeletons.

"This is no mine!" She interrupted. "This is a tomb! Gandalf, we're going to take the gap of Rohan and…"

But she was cut off when a giant tentacle suddently shot from the lake and grabbed Frodo, intent on drowning him.

"_Legolas!"_ she yelled as she took out her sword and her wand, mirrored by her brother. "_Target it's eyes!_ Relashio! Let him go your filthy squid! Reducto!"

While her first curse didn't had any effect, causing her to once again swear about the problems with her magics, the exploding curse had the intended effect and cut off the tentacle holding Frodo, forcing it to drop the hobbit right into Aragorn's waiting arms.

"Into the Mines! Get inside!" the Ranger yelled at his sister and at the elf who were keeping the creature away. They nodded and followed the rest of the Fellowship to safety… or what seemed like safety at the moment. Once the squid destroyed the entrance, however, it became more of a mouse-trap than a safe-place.

"_**Alca**__ (ray of light)_" Hermione incanted, bringing light to pierce the darkness of the mine. "Master dwarf, while I like your people and it's architectural skills, please allow me to say that I can't wait to get the hell out of here. Gandalf, I hope you remember the way!"

* * *

_Of course he didn't._ Hermione thought angrily as she sat there waiting for the Wizard to remember the way while wondering if she should hex Gollum (or at least try to, since her wand-magic worked very strangely in Middle-Earth, as proven by the skirmish with the squid-like creature) or not. Finally, after two hours of waiting, and judging that everyone had rested long enough, she stood up, getting her wand out of it's holster and thanking the Valars that this spell, at least, always worked.

"One of those days, Gandalf, you _will_ have to start asking for help. **Point me exit!**" She said clearly, and the wand spinned in her hand, stopping on the left doorway. "This way. The air isn't as foul either. Remember that, Master Hobbits – and you should know it too, Mithrandir since you were the one to teach me that: When in doubt, always follow your nose!"

And with that she walked through the doorway.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached the Halls, an enormous hall with colonnes everywhere. And no colonne was the same as another, no. Each was unique.

"This is why the dwarves are considered some of the greatest architects of this world." Hermione whispered, the imposance of the Halls having calmed her down.

They walked in silence for a long time, in awe of what was around them, until they saw a ray of light coming from some kind of side chamber. Hoping for a way out of the Mines, they went in it's direction but stopped at the door. The light came from a very small hole, high on the ceiling, and shone onto a tomb.

* * *

Very short, I know. Next chapter should be up by sunday night at the latest. But right now it's 1:37 in the morning and I'm to tired to type more :S sorry

What did you think?


	8. Of Shadow andnFlame joined in one

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

As promised, here is the eight chapter!

Thank you for the review, **RoseXshapedXtears.** The explanation for the problems with her magic will come in one of the next chapter, either chapter nine or ten depending on how I'll organize the chapters. But it'll come, don't worry, and I hope that it will be to your liking!

Wow, I even got a reader in Brazil! Thank you so much for your review, **Mayumi Shinomori**! I have to admit that I had to use an online translator to understand it, but I'm touched that you enjoyed the story and I hope the future chapters will also be to your liking!

You don't need to be a writer to have an account, you know **Liz**. I, for one, had one months before the idea of starting to write fanfictions came into my head – it allowed me to put stories on alerts, and to find my favorites back without trouble. **When Worlds Collide: The Plight of the One Ring,** hu? I have to agree with you, that one is awesome. I had read it some times before, and I do hope that it's author hasn't abandonned it. I'm happy you liked the last chapter, I hope this one will live up to your expectations!

Timeline:

March 1st, TA 2931: Birth of Aragorn  
September 19th, TA 2934: Birth of Hermione  
October 27th, TA 2934: Death of Arathorn, Gilraen takes her children to Imaldris  
August, TA 2943/ August, 1985: After an attack and the revelation that Hermione has a magic unknown in this world, a magic that she cannot control and that is harmful both to her and to those around her, Gilraen, Elrond and Gandalf take the decision to send her to another world where she would learn to control this magic. Gilraen goes with her, along with two other Dunedains, Hamon and Ladriel. They go back to Middle-Earth every summer for two months – one month Earth time is the same as eight months Middle-Earth time, and one year earth time is the same as eight year middle-earth time.  
Febuary 21st, 1988/Febuary 21st, TA 2972: death of Gilraen  
September 1st, 1990: Begin of the first Hogwarts year  
July 7th, 1995/ October 5th, TA 3018: start of this story

Hermiones age: in England: 16, nearly 17 (faking, with the help of de-aging potions)  
in Middle-Earth: 27  
should have been, had she not left Middle-Earth: 84

Hermione spend every summer in Middle-Earth, except the summer after fourth year since she stayed at Grimmauld Place. That makes eight summers, 16 months earth times, a little more than ten years middle-earth

* * *

Previously in **The Light of Ithilwen**

_They walked in silence for a long time, in awe of what was around them, until they saw a ray of light coming from some kind of side chamber. Hoping for a way out of the Mines, they went in it's direction but stopped at the door. The light came from a very small hole, high on the ceiling, and shone onto a tomb._

"No! No!" Gimli wailed as he ran to the tomb, not heading Gandalf's shouts.

"Here lies Durìn, Lord of Morià" Hermione read from the dwarvish inscriptions as Gandalf grabbed the book Pippin had found and started to read it aloud.

"They have taken the bridge and the second hall. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes, drums... drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow lurks in the dark. We cannot get out... they are coming. "

The fellowship went silent after that, except for the sobs coming from the dwarf. Silent, that is, until Hermione spotted Pippin examining a body leaning against a well behind the tomb.

"Pippin!" she hissed, but too late. The hobbit, trying to get an arrow out of the body, had unintentionally made said body, fully armored and chained to some kind of metal container, fall into the well. Everyone flinched hearing the loud noise the body was producing as it fell. Once the noise stopped, they held their breath for a few more moments until Gandalf glared at Pippin.

"Fool of a Took!"

He looked like he wanted to say something else, and Hermione was ready to stop him if he became too virulent, knowing that, when tense, her master was prone to say things he would later regret, but he stopped mid-rant as drums began to sound in the mines.

"Oh shit."

"Goblins!" Gandalf said grimly.

Boromir, who had run to the door to see how near the goblins were, suddenly jerked backwards, and an arrow hit the wood where his head had been seconds before. Quickly, with the help of Aragorn and Legolas, he barricaded the door with spears that were lying on the ground with the remains of fallen warriors. Meanwhile, Gimli had climbed on the tomb and was holding his axe tightly.

"Let them come!"He shouted. "There is one dwarf yet in Morià who still draws breath!"

Hermione stood beside Gandalf, sword in one hand and wand in the other, her staff still held on her back, eyes fixed on the door. The hobbits, slightly shaking, stood behind them, swords – and, in Sam's case, frying pan – drawn, nervous but ready to fight. Once the door was blocked as well as it could be, the three warriors returned to the group, Aragorn and Legolas notching an arrow on their bows.

"_They have a cave troll"_ The dunedain informed his sister, who groaned in response.

"_What's with me and trolls?"_ she asked rhetorically. "_Honestly…"_

She turned her attention back to the door where Goblins were starting to destroy the door. The first one to look through the hole created was struck down by Aragorn's arrow. The second was blasted away by Hermione's well-aimed cutting curse – or what was supposed to be a cutting curse, but ended up as a blasting curse.

And suddenly, the door exploded and goblins flooded the room, and the Dunedain found that she didn't had time to think anymore, too busy fighting off goblins foolish enough to think that a girl would be an easy prey. From the corner of her eyes, she saw that the others were faring as well as she was, and she had to chuckle when she saw Sam hitting a gobbling straight in the face with his frying pan. Then the cave troll arrived, having broken free from his goblin minders, and she fought harder, faster, killing as many as she could in order to be able to fight it, but he got to the hobbits before she could, focusing on Frodo after swatting the others to the side. She had to turn her attention back to her fight, but she still froze when she heard Sam's anguished cry.

She saw Merry and Pippin jump on the back of the troll, and was strongly reminded of a Halloween back in first year, when Harry had done the same. She saw Legolas jump from a boulder when the hobbits were thrown away, and she saw him fire two, no three, she couldn't be sure from where she was fighting, arrows straight into the troll's skull. As she beheaded the last goblin, she saw her brother and Gandalf run to the fallen hobbit, trying to get the spear the troll had striked Frodo with out. The surprised exclamations made her hurry and she rushed at their side, ready to fire the one healing spell she knew worked in Middle-Earth, even if it wasn't very powerfull, only to be stumped by the sight of Bilbo's mithril shirt.

"A kingly gift indeed!" Gimli laughed, but Gandalf ushered them out of the room and to the bridge of Khazad Dum.

* * *

They ran as fast as they could in the Halls, but the goblins were faster, and were already behind them. Some sprouted from holes in the ground, others came through the ceiling, and soon the Fellowship was encircled.

"Got any idea?" the only female in the group asked Gandalf.

However, before the Istar could answer, a deep grumble was heard and the goblins suddenly fled in panic. Gimli laughed, but stopped as soon as he noticed the red-orange light coming from the other end of the halls.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked Gandalf.

The Wizard closed his eyes for an instant, and the grumble was heard again, accompanied by the sounds of loud footsteps.

"Balrog" The old Wizard uttered as he opened his eyes again. " A demon of the Ancient World. This foes is beyond our level. Run!"

And so they did, until Boromir nearly fell over when the stairs abruptly stopped, Legolas managing to catch him just in time.

"Gandalf!" Hermione was alarmed by her brother's cry and turned around to see the Istar leaning against the wall, panting.

"Lead them on, Aragorn" he said, but his eyes were fixed on hers. "The bridge is near!"

And indeed it was, though Hermione was afraid they wouldn't have enough time to reach it. Gandalf stood up again, and ushered them forwards, taking them through stone stairs, going down to the level where they would be able to reach the bridge.

But the stairs they were currently on had broken down in the middle. Legolas went first, jumping over the gap, and was mentioning to the others to do the same when what seemed like the whole mine started shaking and breaking down. Gandalf jumped, and the place where he had stood seconds before was suddenly hit by a goblin arrow. The creatures were back, though they stayed far away from the fire-like light. Legolas killed one with his own arrow, and Boromir grabbed Merry and Pippin and jumped with them just as the part of stairs they were on crumbled.

"Sam!" Aragorn shouted, but Hermione had already caught the hobbit and threw him over the gap to Boromir's waiting hands. The siblings turned to Gimli, ready to toss him on the other side, but the dwarf glared at them.

"Nobody tosses a dwarf!" He said, and jumped. He nearly fell off, and Legolas grabbed him by the beard to keep him from falling.

The scene would have been laughable had the portion of stairs the siblings and Frodo were still standing on not started to crumble. They barely managed to jump back, but the gap between the two stairs was now significantly bigger – not even Legolas would have jumped with certainty. The walls shook once more, and rocks began to rain down, and the stairs fell behind them, cutting off their escape route – if they had wished to face the Balrog, that is. But the portion they were now staying on wasn't stable anymore, and started to rock back and forth. A glance between the Dunedains, and they each grabbed Frodo by an arm. As soon as the stairs crashed on the intact portion where their friends were, they jumped. Boromir caught Frodo, while Legolas managed to stabilize both Hermione and her brother. They started running, the stairs behind them falling into the depths of Morià.

* * *

They were within sight of the Bridge when they saw it. Balrog. Flame and shadow joined in one, a demon of the Ancient Times of the Battle between the Valars and Morgoth, a being higher than Grawp, with horns the size of an elephant and a massive flaming whip. Balrog. Gandalf had slowed down, allowing the others to run past him, and for him to be their rear-guard.

By now, the others had all made it to the other side of the bridge. Hermione, however, stopped dead in her tracks, whirling around to face her master. She was still only half-way through the bridge, and he looked her straight into the eyes

"No!" She yelled as he brandished his staff towards the approaching creature. "_Mithrandir, don't!"_

"_Run, Ithilwen Aranhilwen (Moon Kingsheir)! Bring them to the Golden Woods!"_

"_Not without you!"_ she screamed, as the others, at the other end of the bridge, stopped too.

"_You will do as you I tell you, Ithilethiel (Moon Maiden)!"_ he shouted back sternly, keeping his eyes on the Balrog. He softened somewhat. "_It was a pleasure and an honor to have you as my student, Ithilwen. May the Valars keep you safe."_

And with that, he turned to face the Balrog.

"You cannot pass!" he toned.

"Gandalf!" This time it was Frodo.

"I'm the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor! Go back to the shadow. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun! You shall not pass!"

Aragorn had run up to his sister and dragged her back to the others, watching in horror as the beast brought a sword of fire down on the Wizard, only for said Wizard to create a protection with his staff.

"Go back to the shadow!" Gandalf repeated, before slamming the end of his staff on the bridge. "You. Shall. Not. Pass!"

As the bridge broke down under the Balrog, Hermione allowed herself to think that they had won. But then, just as Gandalf turned around, the flame whip of the creature came up and grabbed the Wizard by the ankle. The Fellowship froze as Gandalf's last words to them rang in their ears.

"Fly, you fools!" the old man had said before following the Balrog in its fall.

"Aragorn!" Boromir yelled, having grabbed Frodo and already running.

"Aragorn!" Legolas shouted again when it became obvious that his friend wasn't moving.

The goblins had returned, trying to shoot them from the other side of the bridge, but the Dunedains were still frozen in place, their eyes rived on the abyss as if hoping that Gandalf would come black flying.

The elfs voice managed to shake Aragorn out of his shock, and he grabbed his sister's hand to drag her out of the mines, Legolas running at their side. She followed them in a trance-like state, her brown eyes gazing far away. They had only made it a few steps out of the goblins range when she suddenly fell, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

* * *

So? Liked it?

Oh, and if you're wondering… yup, the cliffhanger is _totally_ intentional.

A sadist? I? What was your first clue? xD


	9. Of Valars and Elves

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

Sorry for the wait girls and guys, real life has a bad habbit of taking up most of my writing time… but I'm on holidays for now so I should be able to post at least two chapters (including this one) before the end of april.

**Liz**: Okay, I'll stop… But I'll still say that having an account helps a lot in keeping tracks of the fics you like^^  
Puppy eyes. Ugh. That's probably the one thing I can't resist. So I'll make this chapter a bit longer. I had intended to cut it at one point, but I suppose I'll put two chapters in one… tch… I don't know when your birthday is, but consider this your birthday present ;P

**Jada951:** Yup, I totally think she deserved to pass out. Though, as you'll find out, it's not for the reason you think. And nope, Aragorn doesn't know either. He's freaking out, in fact…

**Leonamasha**: Thanks for the compliment! Yes, I'm a sadist. I enjoy watching people suffer mwahahaha! *cut the crazy sadist act* I'm happy you liked the last chapter, I hope you'll like this one!

**RoseXshapedXtears****:** Thanks! As for Gandalf not using this shield-thing to block the door, I actually have a theory about that. In my opinion, Middle-Earth's magic takes a lot of energy and concentration, or a very high dose of adrenaline to do big thing. Small magics are not so much of a problem, hence why Gandalf had no qualms creating light in the mines (film and book versions) or creating those impressive fireworks in the Shire. A Balrog attacking justify the adrenaline. Same when Gandalf frees Theoden, or when he drives back the Nazgul attacking the Gondorian. Gandalf very rarely use magic, both in the books or in the film. This might be the reason why.

Timeline:

March 1st, TA 2931: Birth of Aragorn  
September 19th, TA 2934: Birth of Hermione  
October 27th, TA 2934: Death of Arathorn, Gilraen takes her children to Imaldris  
August, TA 2943/ August, 1985: After an attack and the revelation that Hermione has a magic unknown in this world, a magic that she cannot control and that is harmful both to her and to those around her, Gilraen, Elrond and Gandalf take the decision to send her to another world where she would learn to control this magic. Gilraen goes with her, along with two other Dunedains, Hamon and Ladriel. They go back to Middle-Earth every summer for two months – one month Earth time is the same as eight months Middle-Earth time, and one year earth time is the same as eight year middle-earth time.  
Febuary 21st, 1988/Febuary 21st, TA 2972: death of Gilraen  
September 1st, 1990: Begin of the first Hogwarts year  
July 7th, 1995/ October 5th, TA 3018: start of this story

Hermiones age: in England: 16, nearly 17 (faking, with the help of de-aging potions)  
in Middle-Earth: 27  
should have been, had she not left Middle-Earth: 84

Hermione spend every summer in Middle-Earth, except the summer after fourth year since she stayed at Grimmauld Place. That makes eight summers, 16 months earth times, a little more than ten years middle-earth

* * *

**Previously in The light of Ithilwen:**

_The elfs voice managed to shake Aragorn out of his shock, and he grabbed his sister's hand to drag her out of the mines, Legolas running at their side. She followed them in a trance-like state, her brown eyes gazing far away. They had only made it a few steps out of the goblins range when she suddenly fell, her eyes rolling to the back of her head._

* * *

~**Hermione Wisechild, daughter of Gilraen, Ithilwen Arahiniel, Aranel Ithilethiel~ **an ehteral voice boomed all around her **~Open your eyes~**

Slowly, she obeyed, confused. The last thing she remembered was Gandalf falling with the Balrog, then nothing. Only grey.

Once her eyes opened, she gasped. She was sitting in the middle of an endless field of simbelmynë, under a starfilled nightsky. The moon seemed near enough that Hermione got the impression that the only thing she would have to do to touch it would be to extend her hand. She looked around here, only to gasp again when she saw her clothes. She wasn't wearing the same clothes she had worn since leaving Imaldris, but new ones. She still had black leather pants and boots, but the material was of much higher quality. Her green tunic, however, had been replaced by a deep blue long-sleeved one with a grey plastron and grey armguards. Her dark green overrobe had also been replaced with a silver-grey one. A silver ring with a black stone had found it's place on her right hand and her hair had been let out of it's braid and was now flowing freely around her head. And she was fully alone.

"_Where am I? Am I dreaming? Or dead?"_

**~This is the world behind your dreams**~the etheral voice spoke again. **~You have been brougth here by our will.~**

"_Who are you?"_ Hermione asked, confused but not scared. She knew, somehow, that the voice wouldn't harm her.

**~We are know to you as the Valars~** the voices (now she noticed that there were more than one, speaking in perfect unison) boomed.**~We have brought you here for you were apprentice to the Grey Wizard. The Grey fell, but it has to continue it's task among the living for it would break the balance should only the white, brown and blue Wizards be left to walk in this world. We have seen your life, daugther of Gilraen, child of many names, and deemed you worthy. From now on, you shall be the Grey Sorceress.~**

Hermione felt faint as the words registered in her shell-shocked mind. She was to take up her master's mantle? But…

" _I do not feel worthy of this title, Master Valars. I am but a young woman, young in the standards of every race walking on Middle-Earth, young even by the standards of the Earthlings, and I have so much more to learn before I could even dream of taking up Mithrandir's mantle…"_

**~Your answer is proof of your character, Sarrahiniel (Wisechild). You may be young, but you are strong. You seek knowledge and you know that the seeking of knowledge never ends. And beyond knowledge, you are wise. You know how to use your knowledge rather than just collect it. You are worthy of the title we're bestowing upon you. And do not despair for the fate of your master, for he shall be returned to you sooner than you think. For Saruman has been tainted and is no longer white, a new White Wizard shall arise. Daugther of Gilraen, Wisest of the Children, do you accept the mantle of the Grey?~**

Hermione took a deep breath before answering.

"_I do."_

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a wave of magic pass through her. Her wand shot out of it's holster and her staff, which had laid on the ground at her feet, joined it. There was a flash of blinding white light, and the two magic focii started to merge together, the shorter of the two being absorbed by the larger staff.

The ebony wood glowed briefly as elvish words appeared, circling along the staff in silvery writing.

"_What…"_

**~We unified your magics. You can now use them both with your staff, though the magic of the other world will sometimes have different results, and it can shrink at will to the size of your old wand.~**

"_Thank you."_

**~You are welcome, Daughter of Gilraen. Go now, and know that you have made your forfathers proud. But do not tell the others of your masters fate, for his return shall be a surprise to everyone. Tell only the bearers of Vilya and Nenya, for they will know already. But tell no other.~**

"_I won't. Until the time come when Mithrandir reveals himself, I shall tell no one other than the bearers of Vilya and Nenya of his return. On my magic, my life and my soul, so I swear, and so it shall be."_

**~We know you won't.~**the voices boomed. **~Wake up now, for your companions are beyond themselves with worry and grief, and take them to the Golden Woods of Lothlorien. Be on your guards, always.~**

She bowed low, closed her eyes and felt another wave of magic wash over her as she grasped her staff.

* * *

She blinked and opened her eyes to see Aragorn's worried face hovering over hers.

"_I am fine, Onoono"_ she said gently as she sat up, noticing that her new clothes had followed her in this world. Her staff laid on the ground beside her, and she grabbed it with her left hand while she hugged her brother with the other arm.

"_What happened? You were unconscious, and you suddenly started glowing and your clothes changed and…"_

"Aragorn! Let me answer for the Valar's sake!" she shouted, causing him to shut up immediately. "I am FINE! Got it? Good! Now, if you could gather the others, I would prefer to tell the story only once."

He stood up immediately and went to get the others. Frodo had wandered off a little, but Boromir and Gimli had stayed by the crying hobbits. Legolas was sitting beside her, looking grim, and she couldn't help but grab his hand and squeeze it reassuringly.

"_Do not despair, mellon nin. All is not lost yet. I thank you for helping Onoono in there. I heard your shout."_

"_I would have done it either way, my Lady"_the elf answered with a tentative smile. _"Your eyes… they look older."_

"_And I will explain why as soon as everyone is gathered."_

And, true to her word, she told them about meeting the Valars and being assigned the mantle of the Grey Istar, but said nothing about Gandalf's possible ressurection. Then she stood up and urged them to do the same.

"By nightfall, this place will be swarming with gobelins and we still have a long way to go until we reach the Golden Woods."

They took off after that, in silence. Hermione's new status had made the fall of the Grey Wizard real. She did tell them to keep hope, but the wound was too fresh. Frodo espescially seemed to have taken Gandalf's disappearance as a heavy blow and even Merry and Pippin were subdued.

* * *

A few days later, the entered the Woods Of Lothlorien. The two Dunedains and the elven prince relaxed imperceptibly as soon as they were in the shadows of it's trees. Gimli, however, was nervous. Very nervous.

"They say that a great sorceress lives in those woods. An Elf witch of terrible powers." He was telling the hobbits. "All who look upon her fall under her spell… and are never seen again."

The three who had been raised by elves traded amused looks.

"_Do you thinkhe knows that we're surrounded by armed elves?" _Hermione asked, eyebrows raised.

"_Not a chance. This is going to be amusing – maybe it will lift the hobbit's spirit a bit"_ her brother noted.

Meanwhile, Gimli was still talking.

"Well, here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily! I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!"

Just as he finished his sentence, elves appeared all around them, arrows notched just a few inches of their faces.

"The dwarf breath so loud, we could have shot him in the dark."the one who seemed to be in charge stated dryly.

Gimli started getting red, but the elf ignored him in favour of the others. He had barely turned away from the dwarf that Hermione ran up to him and hugged him briefly.

"_Mae govannen, mellon nin!"_ she exclaimed as she let go of him. "_It is good indeed to see you again! How have you been since I last saw you?"_

"_Mae govannen, Ithilwen Arahiniel. It is good to see you too, though I wish it could have been in better circumstances. You have brought great evil to our woods."_

She raised an eyebrow.

"_Come on, Harry and Luna aren't __that__ bad."_

"_It is not them I am talking about, Lady Ithilwen, but that what the Halfling carries with him."_

"_I know. But we had no other choice, Haldir, for the Valars themselves told me to bring the Fellowship to the Lorien. We have many things to discuss with the Lady of Light(meaning of Galadriel's name)."_

"_She awaits you. Your friends will be there also, as will Hamon – he is quite cross with you."_

"Can't you talk in a language everyone understands?" Gimli muttered.

"Gimli, you should watch your mouth" Aragorn warned. "Especially when you are wastly outnumbered."

"Follow me" Haldir stated in the common tongue after arguing with Hermione for a few minutes in elvish whispers, turning to adress the Fellowship as a whole. "The Lady of the Woods wishes to see you. _Mae govannen, Estel, Legolas. It has been a long time since either of you last laid foot in our woods."_

"_Too long." _Aragorn agreed. _"But other matters kept us away, as you already know. Orcs becoming bolder, goblins and wargs showing up where they shouldn't…"_

They chatted amiably in elvish all the way, until they reached the elvish city. They were told to wait on a plateform in one of the tallest trees. Hermione was the first to spot Celeborn's and Galadriel's arrival, but everyone fell silent when the two elven rulers descended the stairs, bathed in light. Celeborn spoke first, after scrutinising the Fellowship.

"The ennemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone. Nine are here yet ten they were that set out of Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf for I' much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar"

"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land" Galadriel whispered. "He has fallen through the shadow" Her face was pale, but her eyes bored in Hermiones.

"He was taken by both Shadow and Flame" Legolas said, his voice filled with grief. "A Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Morià."

"Needless were none of Gandalfs actions in life " Galadriel pointed out, her voice etheral. " We do not yet know his purpose."

She then turned to Gimli.

"Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-Dûm fill your heart, Gimli son of Gloìn. For the world has grown full of peril and in all land love is now mingled with grief."

Her eyes bore into Boromirs, and Hermione watched as beads of sweat rolled down the Gondorians forhead, and the Dunedain Maiden knew she was mentally speaking with him for she had already conversed this way with the elf once.

Celeborn spoke again.

"What now becomes of this Fellowship? Without Gandalf, all seems lost."

Hermione saw her brother clench his fists and bow his head, tears grithing, but then Galadriel spoke up, eyes focused on her.

"Gandalf may have fallen through Fire and Shadow, but the Grey Istar didn't die with him. _Mae govannen, _Ithilethiel (Moon Maiden), Sorceress of the Grey."

"_Mae govannen, my Lady. May the stars shine upon our meeting."_ Hermione bowed.

The blond elf nodded once before turning to adress the Fellowship as a whole, face stern and voice unyelding.

"The quest stands upon the edge of knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the company is true." Her eyes once again bore into Boromir's. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest. You are weary with sorrow and much trouble. Tonight, you will sleep here."

She once again turned to adress the Dunedain Maiden.

" Ithilwen, I will await you at the well in…"

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by the sound of running. Two teenagers irrupted on the meeting and stopped dead when they saw Hermione. Another man arrived, having apparently ran after them. But he didn't stop until he stood just in front of her.

"_You!"_ he growled. "_Do you have any idea how worried I was? And you left me to take care of two children who don't know handle or blade of a sword! You…"_

His sentence got stuck in his throat when Hermione laughed and grabbed him in a bear hug.

"_I am happy to see you again too, Hamon."_ She smiled. _"Though I have to admit that I didn't miss your fussing over me as if I were a little girl!"_

"How come you know everyone here, lass?" Gimli muttered.

"The dwarves aren't the only one I visited over the years, Gimli. And Hamon and Ladriel, who you might have met while in Imaldris, were with me in this other world I've told you about."

This seemed to wake up the two teens who gaped at her. Well, Harry gaped while Luna smiled and went to give her a hug.

"Mione? Is that really you?"

Hesitantly, unsure of her friend's reaction, Hermione turned around, ready to face whatever his reaction would be.

* * *

Tada! Done! And a long one too! You can thank **Liz **for that, I originally intended to end this chapter when Hermione woke up. It would have been short, sure, but would have left me with more time. But she used puppy eyes. Which should be outlawed, if I might add. This IS a writing in progress, and I'm approching the end of what I've written until now. I'll post another chapter in less than two weeks if I can, but the next one might take more time.


	10. Of meetings and decisions

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

Okay, it's been waaaaaaaaaaay longer than the two weeks I promised, and I am really sorry. Truth is, I wanted to wait until I had written a bit more on paper until I posted this one. Since my white page syndrom is finally gone, I can finally post this chapter.

Also, this story passed the 50 review line! I'm so happy!

**DarkDreamer1982**: Thank's for the compliment! I'm happy you liked it! As for Harry and Luna, well, you were right ;D Kind of ^^ Wait and see^^

**Liz**: Hey, don't die on me! I don't want to loose such a great reviewer ;D ! I'm happy you liked this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it, espescially the part with Gimli and Haldir! Just imagine Haldir's face when Hermione hugged him! It was so funny in the movie when Aragorn hugs him when he arrives at Helm's Deep… xD I couldn't help myself! Also, the part with the Valar was something I hadn't originally planned, but when it came to me I couldn't forget it, so there you go!  
And yes, you inspired me to write longer. I didn't want you to do something drastic if I posted a too short chapter;D  
Thanks for the compliment on my english, I'm glad I managed to write without too much mistakes since English is not my mother language…

**LRN415**: I'm glad you liked it! As for Harry and Luna, well read and see^^

**LeonaMasha, The Lady of the Land**, thanks for the reviews!

Timeline:

March 1st, TA 2931: Birth of Aragorn  
September 19th, TA 2934: Birth of Hermione  
October 27th, TA 2934: Death of Arathorn, Gilraen takes her children to Imaldris  
August, TA 2943/ August, 1985: After an attack and the revelation that Hermione has a magic unknown in this world, a magic that she cannot control and that is harmful both to her and to those around her, Gilraen, Elrond and Gandalf take the decision to send her to another world where she would learn to control this magic. Gilraen goes with her, along with two other Dunedains, Hamon and Ladriel. They go back to Middle-Earth every summer for two months – one month Earth time is the same as eight months Middle-Earth time, and one year earth time is the same as eight year middle-earth time.  
Febuary 21st, 1988/Febuary 21st, TA 2972: death of Gilraen  
September 1st, 1990: Begin of the first Hogwarts year  
July 7th, 1995/ October 5th, TA 3018: start of this story

Hermiones age: in England: 16, nearly 17 (faking, with the help of de-aging potions)  
in Middle-Earth: 27  
should have been, had she not left Middle-Earth: 84

Hermione spend every summer in Middle-Earth, except the summer after fourth year since she stayed at Grimmauld Place. That makes eight summers, 16 months earth times, a little more than ten years middle-earth

* * *

**Previously in The light of Ithilwen:**

"_How come you know everyone here, lass?" Gimli muttered._

"_The dwarves aren't the only one I visited over the years, Gimli. And Hamon and Ladriel, who you might have met while in Imaldris, were with me in this other world I've told you about."_

_This seemed to wake up the two teens who gaped at her. Well, Harry gaped while Luna smiled and went to give her a hug._

"_Mione? Is that really you?"_

_Hesitantly, unsure of her friend's reaction, Hermione turned around, ready to face whatever his reaction would be._

* * *

"That's me! So, how's it doing since I last saw you?" She asked with a nervous smile.

He didn't answer, choosing to hug her akwardly instead. She noticed that he was now taller, as wel as wearing elvish clothing, with a sword and a bow to complete his attire.

"You've changed a lot" He commented as he let her go, still akward.

"Well… I AM twenty-seven, you know. I used to take a deaging potion at Hogwarts."

"That's why you were always acting older. You _were_ older."

"Yes." A pause. "Are you angry with me?"

"I was. At the beginning. But then Lady Galadriel spoke with me and I kind of understood. It _is_ a shock to see you looking like that, though. And where's your wand?"

"Err… it kind of fused with my staff, it's a long story. But I suppose you noticed that wand magic doesn't exactly works here…"

"I _think_ I noticed that when my levitation charm blew up my bed and my reparo made it burst in flames" Harry said dryly.

The sorceress chuckled.

"Yes, that's what I'm talking about. The magic flowing in Middle-Earth is harder, more… battle-ready, if you see what I mean. On Earth, it's rather a… nurturing kind of magic. Warm and helpful. Here's it's cold and strong. It takes a while to get used to it, and true Istar are rare – only four of us are currently in Middle-earth. Radagast, the Brown Wizard and Eagle Master, the two Blue Wizards, I don't recall their names and they haven't really done anything beside exploring this world so there's not much known about them. Gandalf, my teacher, was the Grey Istar, and it is now my title since he fell not too long ago. Saruman the traitor was the White Wizard, but unknown to him he is loosing that title and soon a new White Rider will rise."

"It's… complicated."

"And you don't know half of it."

She was interrupted by Aragorn's cough.

"Introductions please, Onoone?"

"Killjoy" she muttered. "Allright people, listen up. The young lady at my side is Luna Lovegood, and this young man is Harry Potter. They're from the world I was sent to for my "safety" and to learn how to use my magic. Harry, Luna, the man who rudely interrupted us is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and my prat of a brother. Next to him, and only Elf in our Fellowship though both my brother and myself were raised by elves, is Legolas son of Thranduil, Prince of Mirkwood. The other man is Boromir, son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. The dwarf muttering the entire time is Gimli son of Gloïn – and don't glare at me like that, it's true! As for the little ones, they are hobbits, or Halflings. Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamegie, Merriadoc Brandybook and Peregrin Took. And you already know lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel."

"So you are the one who got my sister in so much trouble?" Aragorn asked threatingly.

Then he yelped in pain as Hermione smacked him on the back of the head with her staff in a manner not unlike Gandalf.

"Behave" she threatened. "It wasn't Harry's fault, and you know it, so stop acting like a bloody git!" She paled when she realised what she had just said. "Oh Valar's… I'm speaking like an english teen again… Harry, it's your fault! Luna, could you convince him to start acting and talking like the lord he will soon be in your world, for it would only hinder him to act like a child in front of the Wizengamot again?"

"I shall try, Lady Ithilwen" Luna curtised before being stopped by Hermione.

"You are my friend Luna, and as such there will be no bowing, nor calling me Lady while in informal situations. I tried to convince the others of that, but they are too stubborn" she glared at Legolas in particular, though her eyes rested on every member of the Fellowship save Gimli and Aragorn. "Though I have to ask: You don't seem very surprised by all this. Why is that?"

"Why would I be?" the blond asked in her etheral voice. "You are not the only one who knows that _**all that is gold does not glitter**_. I have known since I first met you that you were from another place."

"_I wil leave you to talk with your friends, Ithilwen Aranhilwen (Moon Kingsheir). Please meet me at the mirror in one hour for we have much to discuss beside your new status."_

"_As you wish, my Lady" _Hermione bowed to the elven leader before they left the terrace.

She turned around and saw her brother standing a few feet apart, with Hamon, a stern look on his face. She sighed as she went up to him and grabbed him by the ear.

"_Estel, give the man a break! He was given a direct order, and I wasn't in any mood to discuss! There is no need to blame Hamon for something he had no choice in!"_

This was obviously something that happened often for her brother only glared slightly at the other ranger before backing down and going back to the group. The hobbits, exhausted, had sat down on a bench and were talking with Boromir while Legolas, Gimli and the two teens were waiting for her.

She groaned. She had a lot of explaining to do. And she would have to test their fighting skills. She hoped they would fail. She didn't want to ask them to help the Fellowship, even though she knew that they needed their help. But she also knew that Harry and Luna would want to help.

Why did Harry had to be at least as stubborn as herself?

"I've got an hour until my meeting with the Lady of The Woods" She told them. " So if it is allright with you I would like to hear what happened to you and what you have learned since your arrival here, and the others can tell you of our adventures while I'm away."

Her audience nodded. And Luna started explaining, with Harry's occasionnal help, what happened on their side. They had apparently landed in the middle of a meeting of Elders, and only Hamon's quick elvish explanation had saved them from being changed in pincushion by paranoid elves. Galadriel had immediately taken charge and sent a message for Elrond to pass onto Hermione before explaining the situation to the two teens. After being told that they wouldn't be able to return to their homeworld for another sixteen months, they had decided to make the most of the time they had and used it to train. Hamon had been tasked with teaching them how to swordfight while various elves, though mostly Haldir, taught them how to use bows. While Harry was decent with a sword, espescially when it came to parrying, his aim was always a bit off with a bow, probably because of his bad eyesight. Luna, however, was deadly accurate with a bow and downright scary with a sword. Galadriel had also taken it upon herself to teach them elvish magics, but they weren't very proefficient with it yet. And their weapon training was far from completed.

Maybe she would be able to keep them out of this in the end.

Who was she kidding? Of course she wouldn't.

* * *

She had taken them on in short spars and, while she knew they weren't done with their training, she was impressed with the speed of their progress. She glanced at her brother, and he nodded before indicating the clepsydre a few feet away. It was nearly time for her meeting.

"I have to leave for my meeting with the Lady is near, but my brother shall tell you about our adventures. Estel, you might want to tell the Hobbits to get some sleep. We will probably have to leave tomorrow or the day after, and we will need all the rest we can get. Gimli, Legolas, Boromir, you should rest too. And Gimli? Please try not to alienate the elves. I would hate to have to heal you because you thought you could take on an army of elves in their home territory and win."

With a slight smile, she left a choking and spluttering Gimli being held back by a smirking Legolas.

She dropped her pack at the spot Haldir had told them they could set camp for the night before walking down to the well. Galadriel was there already, standing next to her water mirror. Hermione bowed deeply.

"_You wished to see me, My Lady?"_

"_Yes, Aranel (Princess), I did. Tell me about what happened in the mines, and about your obtention of the Grey Mantle. And tell me about the return of he who was Grey and will be White."_

The young Dunedain wasn't really surprised that Galadriel already knew. After all, Elrond's line had been blessed with foresight, and he would have warned the lady of the Golden Woods. So she told her everything from the moment they decided to take the path of the mines to her meeting with the Valars.

When she was done, she was met with silence while Galadriel pondered about what she had just heard. Finally, she spoke up.

"_So the White will ride again, higher than anyone before him. And the Grey lives on, strong and young, and will not falter. You have made your forefathers very proud, Ithilethiel. Your mother espescially would be proud of the woman you've become."_

"_I would rather have her back"_ Hermione whispered. "_It has been many years since death claimed her, yet the pain remains, still as strong as the day she died."_

"_And the pain will never really leave us. We just learn to live with it."_ A male voice said, coming from the mirror.

"_Ada (father) !"_ Hermione exclaimed, relief flooding through her. The elf had always been a calming presence for her, and with everything that had happened in the last few days, she was more than glad to see him.

"_It is good to see you too, Seldë nin (my daughter). How are you doing?"_

"_As well as I can, given the situation here. We now have to decide on the road to take to get to Mount Doom. Boromir wants us to rejoin the White City, but well, you know how Estel feels about that… Legolas is siding with him, and Gimli doesn't care as long as he gets to fight on the way. As for the hobbits, they just want all of this to be over as quickly as possible. But they don't give up. I honestly wasn't sure they would manage, and I'm the one who spent the most time with hobbits, Gandalf aside!"_

"_And what about you, Ithilwen? What are you thoughts on what to do next?"_

"_I am conflicted, Ada. On one hand, I also wish to dispose of the Ring as soon as possible, for I have felt it's power and while I know I can resist it's call, unlike Isildur, it is starting to affect others, the son of Denethor in particular, but the RingBearer also. But on the other hand, I am worried about Rohan and Gondor, for they aren't strong enough to fight both the Eye and the Hand. Espescially when Theoden King is already under Saruman's spell. And despite his fears, both Estel and myself are longing for the White City, and neither of us wish to abandon it to it's fate. We **cannot** abandon our people. There is still hope for mankind, Ada, I know that. The Race of Man is strong, not all will fail like Isildur did. I have faith in men, Ada, and I will not abandon them. The second the opportunity present itself for me to go and aid Rohan and Gondor without hindering our quest, I'll take it."_

The elven lord was silent for a moment, before sighing and nodding to the child he had helped to raise. He could still see the child she had been in the adult she was. He had known as soon as he had heard about her return and about the finding of the One Ring, that she would be part of this quest. Estel had known, too, that his sister would not stand iddly when evil was gaining power, which is why he was keeping a close eye on her. But in the end, the Dunedain Maiden would do what she wanted. She always did. If the outcome was important to her, at least.

He knew her, knew that she was speaking the truth. As soon as she could do it without compromising their quest, she would jump on the occasion to help the two remaining Kingdoms of men. And he _knew_ the occasion would come sooner rather than later.

He sighed again.

"_I know, Ithilwen. But please, be careful. I do not wish to loose you, or your brother – not to mention how distressed Arwen would be. What do you intend to do about your friends from England?"_

"_They are not as proefficient with a sword as I would have liked, but they are already better fighters than the Hobbits, so I cannot prevent them to join us in our quest." _Hermione said with a sad smile. "_I would've prefered to keep them out of this war entirely, but I know I can't, and we might need their powers before the end, espescially Harry's."_

"_Is he that powerful?"_ Galadriel asked. _"I did not feel an immense power rolling off him. He is strong, but not that much."_

"_No, but he is one damn good healer."_

"_You are one too, as is your brother"_ Elrond objected.

"_Thanks to you, Ada. You've taught us well. We know the herbs and the potions, but Harry is able to heal but the deadliest injuries just by focusing his magic on the wound. He is a natural healer."_

"_Which would make him a reluctant fighter if he had to attack, but a good defender" _Elrond noted. _"And the magical world wants him to kill that Dark Lord? It is a wonder that the child didn't break down. What about the girl?"_

"_Luna? She's one scary opponent to have. She's completely unpredictable, and _fast._ She's also good with magical shields, but she's more the "attack is the best defense" type. Between the two of them, Riddle wouldn't stand a chance in a fair, or semi-fair, fight, and that is even more true now that Luna knows how to use a sword."_

"_Then they shall make good additions to the Fellowship" _Galadriel stated. _"You will be leaving tomorrow in the morning. Will you please warn your friends and tell them to be ready at dawn? I shall meet with you all again before you leave."_

Hermione bowed, recognizing a dismissal when she saw one.

"_I will take my leave then." _She said before turning to Elrond. _"It was great to hear from you, Ada. I hope to see you in person as soon as possible. Please give Arwen my greetings and tell her that I am keeping my promise."_ She bowed again and left, but not without hearing Galadriel asking since when she called Elrond Ada. She couldn't help but smile at the curious tone. It wasn't often one managed to surprise the Lady of the Wood.

* * *

Done! Man that took long to type! I was watching the Eurovision song contest at the same time, did any of you watch it? Azerbadjan won, but my favourites were Danemark, Sweden and good ol' Uk. Quite sad that Belgium didn't make it to the finals, though. Can you believe it – we were 11th at the semi finals and only the first ten made it to the finals? That's what I call really bad luck!

So, what are your impression on this chapter? Please let me know, I'm not quite satisfied with it for some reason, it would help if you told me what you liked/didn't like, or what you think could have been written better. And as usual, don't hesitate to point out any spelling/grammatic mistake I might have made!


	11. Of Decisions and Fears

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

AN: I'm baaack! And I aced my exams! I got a Very Good with 16,10 on 20 at my final High School exams! I'm now definitely done with High School! College, here I come!

And today is a very special day, 'cause I just got 18 this morning! So, since it had been a long time (GOD I just checked, it's been nearly two months since my last update! I am so sorry, I can only blame final exams and real life...), and I did not want anyone to die on me (yep** Liz**, that means you) so here's the next chapter! A bit on the short side maybe, but I promise it won't be two months until my next update!

On another note, I'm happy that most of you agreed with my assessment of Harry and Luna. I mean, someone who has trouble with most spells, but is able to produce a corporal Patronus, one of the most powerful and inherently defensive spell, a spell most adults can't do, at THIRTEEN, has to be a better defender than attacker!

**Liz:** Not for some times, but here's a bit of a preview - Aragorn is observant, after all ;D And they will start to get closer in the next chapters, don't worry ^^

* * *

She joined up with the rest of the Fellowship just as Legolas was explaining about the elvish song that could be heard all over the woods.

"A lament for Gandalf" the elven prince was saying.

"What do they say about him?" Merry asked.

"I have not the heart to tell you. For me, the grief is still too near." The elf whispered.

Hermione's heart thightened at the pain in her friend's voice. She desesperately wished to tell them the truth, but she had given her word, and it would be a cold day in hell the day Ithilwen, daughter of Gilraen, would become an oathbreaker.

"I have returned" she announced, and everyone looked up to see her standing in front of them. " We will be leaving in the morrow, after a meeting with the Lady, so you might want to go to sleep as soon as possible. _Onoono_, Harry, Luna, may I have a word if you please?"

The asked got up and followed her to a nearby bench.

"_Estel"_ she started _"Arwen sends her greetings, as does Elrond who I just saw through Lady Galadriel's mirror."_

The Dunedain nodded, his hand clenching around the pendent Arwen had given him. His sister then turned to Harry and Luna.

"If I had my way" she started, "neither of you would be involved in this war. This isn't your world, this isn't your fight, this isn't your war. It wasn't the wisest thing to do, to send you here, but alas I had not other choice and did not know how bad the situation truly was. And now, I am forced to ask you if you would be willing to lend us your help and, with my brother's permission, to join the Fellowship in it's quest. Harry, you are an extremely talented healer and something tells me that we might need your talents before the end, should my brother or myself be unable to heal the others. Luna, you are a very able fighter and it is a shame that spells do not work well in Middle-Earth for your abilities would have been invaluable. But you are already deadly proefficient with both sword and arrows, and your help would be precious. What say you, Brother?"

"I loath the idea of asking children to fight a war" the ranger stated. "But as my sister said, we currently need all the help we can get. Gandalf's loss was a hard one. Another fighter, and a skilled healer would be most welcome. I trust my sister's judgement regarding your abilities. Would you be willing to lend us your help?"

The two humans looked at each other for a few moments, and Hermione could already see the effect the elves had had on Harry. Before, he would have jumped on the idea. Now, he was actually thinking it through, though the answer would probably be the same.

"We will go with you" Luna stated after a few moments. "You are our friend, Hermione, and you fought for our world and saved our lives more times than I can count. We will not let you down now."

"Count us in" Harry said "After all, someone will have to patch you up if you get in as much trouble here than you did at Hogwarts!"

"And whose fault was it then?" She smirked, eyebrow raised. "I am not the one who ended up in the Tri-wizard tournament, nor was it me who got chased by dementors."

"Point taken" the teen conceded with a smile. "When are we supposed to leave?"

"In the morrow, after a meeting with the Lady. Go and get some sleep – the road is long before we reach Mordor."

* * *

The two nodded and left, leaving the Dunedains alone – something they hadn't been in a long time – and Aragorn gathered his sister in his arms.

"_I hate having to involve them"_ the woman mumbled in his chest. "_I would rather have them stay here, and be safe, but I can't…"_

"_Now you know how I feel when you're doing dangerous things"_ Her brother remarked with a sad smile. "_But you did the right thing by leaving the choice to them, and our Fellowship now has two allies they can count on. I am proud of you, Onoone."_

She said nothing, just relaxing in his embrace. They stayed like this for what seemed like hours, until the silence was broken by Aragorn.

"_We never really had a chance to talk about it but… how are you dealing with your new powers?"_

"_It is strange"_ Hermione admitted. _"I suddenly know things I had no previous knowledge of, and my magics feels more powerful, and yet better controlled. They aren't fighting for dominance anymore, but rather they are… coexisting…"_

"_This was not what I meant, sister, and you know it. How are you coping with Mithrandir's fall?"_

"_He was my teacher, and a friend of the dearest sort. But he was also a great Wizard, one I can't hope to equal. My head wants me to break down and cry, but my heart tells me that this wasn't the last we would see of Mithrandir."_

"_If this is what your heart tells you, then there may be hope still for our quest. However, we should not give the others, espescially the little ones, false hope."_

"_Which is why I haven't told any of them about this, though I did mention to Legolas that all was not lost yet."_

At this, Aragorn bit back a smile. He had noticed, though he was probably the only one in the whole Fellowship, that his sister and Legolas would often seek each other's company. He also knew that, at least for now, only friendship existed between those two, and that it might or might not evolve in love later on. But he, for one, wouldn't interfere either way. Legolas was his best friend, and if he had to trust someone with his sister, he would rather it be the elven prince than any other man.

"_He was a great help in the Mines. I had frozen, and you were unconscious, Boromir had to drag Frodo away while Gimli protected the others from the goblin arrows, but Legolas managed to get us all out of there…"_

Hermione smiled slightly.

"_I had warned him that something like this might happen. Mithrandir… he was so worried about the Balrog that I got scared too. I knew I would probably freeze if something happened to Mithrandir, and that as much as you like to pretend the contrary, the same would happen to you. Legolas was our best bet to make it out of there alive."_

"_And you were right."_

"_As always"_ his sister smiled, before her smile fell and she burrowed her face further in her brother's chest.

"_I am worried, Onoono… The fighting I can deal with, but the wait? If I could, I would have apparated Frodo to Mount Doom and be done with it already, but it is impossible. The wait is killing me. Rohan and Gondor are pleading for help, but I swore to help Frodo in his quest. But I am worried. Theoden, my friend Theoden, is under Saruman's spell, Osgiliath is on the verge of being overrun and with the visions of the White City I've been getting recently…"_

Aragorn's breath hitched, and Hermione sighed, knowing what would come now…

"_Your vision have started again?"_

"_The day we saw the Crebain of Dunland. I saw Denethor in a circle of fire, under the watchful eye of Sauron…"_

"_This is not all you have seen"_ Aragorn said gently. _"What shakes you so?"_

"_I saw Faramir"_ Her voice was shaking, as was her body. With a start, he brother realised that she was doing her best not to cry. Ithilwen, his little sister, who had not shed a tear since their mother's death, was having difficulties to hold back her tears! He held her closer, knowing how close she was to the Steward's youngest son despite having known him only for a very short time.

"_He was burning Estel, he was burning on a payre, but he was still alive! Valar Estel, they were burning him alive!"_

Sobs rocked her body now, and he felt her tears soaking his shirt and his heart broke a little. He had never had the oppurtunity to meet Faramir, but he still remembered the impressiv smile on his sister's face when she had come back from her three-month stay in the White City. In a very short time, the Gondorian had become her best friend on the same level as Legolas.

"_How does it end, Ithilwen? How does your vision ends?"_ He had to grab her by the shoulders to force her to look at him. _"How. Does. It. End?"_

* * *

__Done! Here you go! Hope you liked it!


	12. Of Discussions, gifts and trouble ahead

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

* * *

**AN:** I'm really really really sorry!I know it's been ages since I last updated, but I have been very very busy these last few months. Between the summer holidays, moving to Brussels, getting settled in a flat near the university/college, getting used to college, getting used to my flatmate (the daughter of a family friend. She's five years older than me, and is the party-type. Which I'm not. Which means there are days when I cannot get to bed until two in the morning because she organised a spur-of-the-moment "before-party-party" and ends up not going to the party because she's totally drunk. Oh joy.), and trying not to be left behind in my lessons, I haven't had a single moment to type this chapter - which was already mostly hand-writtn - and I had to check some things with the movie, meaning I had to find the time to atch the movie again. So yeah...

**LeonaMasha**:Thank you! I'm happy that you enjoy reading this story, I enjoy writing it myself! And I like it even more when I know that people actually like what I write!

**Desi-Pari Always: **Thank you! Yeah, I've read a lot of fics were HP caracters get thrown into Middle-Earth... But I haven't seen many were they are originally from ME! As for the romance... I don't know when it'll really come. I'm a bit scared to write romance, in fact. I haven't had much luck on that in real life, and I have nearly no experience in writing it... we'll see!

**cocoa85715**: Thank you! Yeah, I don't like it very much when romance comes to fast. I think such things happen over time, slowly...

**jada951:** Thanks! I think that chapter is one of my favourite... Quiet, bonding time for the two siblings... not everything revolves around fights. There's always the calm before the storm... This chapter is a bit similar, more bonding time! yeah! And thank you very much for the birthday wishes! And I enjoyed the break ;) I went to Greece with my best friend for two weeks, it was awesome!

And thanks to all the other reviewers and to all those who have wished me a happy birthday!

Now let's go on with the story!

* * *

_Last time in The light of Ithilwen_

_"How does it end, Ithilwen? How does your vision ends?"_ He had to grab her by the shoulders to force her to look at him. _"How. Does. It. End?"_

* * *

"_The… the sounds of hooves hitting… hitting the marble floor of the Halls of the Deads" _she choked.

Aragorn breathed, relieved.

_"That means that someone is coming to his rescue, Oonoone. Someone is coming to get him of the pyre, for his time has not yet come." _Her brother told her, looking straight into her eyes, into her very soul. _"he won't die like this."_

_"You promise?"_

She looked at him with tearful eyes and Aragorn was striken by how young she looked. It was a harsh reminder that, despite all her wisdom, despite all her power, she was still very young. Nearly a child. She had been the driving force of the group ever since they had left the Morià, being the shoulder to cry on for the hobbits, the witty remarks to keep Gimli from despairing, the encouraging smiles for Boromir, the whispered discussion that kept Legolas occupied, and the kick in the rear to get him out of his funk. But now that the Fellowship's well-being was, if only for one night, in the hands of others, she had finally allowed herself to break down.

_"Have I ever broken a promise to you?"_

She shook her head, and he held her until she finally calmed down. Once the tear ceased and she could breath normally again, she reluctantly stepped out of his embrace.

_"Could you…"_

_"… Not tell the others about this? I won't, you know that Onoone. But please, tell me if you have a new vision – and immediately. Do not wait until it nearly kills you inside. Have you had any other than the one about Minas Tirith?"_

_"Not yet. I promise I will tell you first, should I have another…"_

They sat down on one of the stone benches, and the talk changed to more mundane matters – specifically, what Aragorn had done during the last eight years. Said Dunedain had spent five of these years with their kinsmen, of which he was now the head, trying to secure their borders from the ever-growing number of orcs. At the end of the fifth year, he had taken with him half a dozen men and, at the request of Gandalf, had gone to protect the Shire when it was reported that orcs were attacking in these domains. Athorn and Bregorn, sons of Cemon, Lilandril and Menon, children of Hanon, as well as Hamon's brothers Hemon and Omon, had gone with him, and they had stayed behind when Aragorn was tasked with the hobbits. He told her of their travel to Imaldris, and of the injuries Frodo had gained while fighting the Ringwraiths. Ithilwen had frowned at that, but hadn't interrupted his tale.

Then she had asked about Arwen, and about Elrond Elven-Ada, and he told her, finally, about the condition Elrond had imposed on him concerning Arwen's hand, and she told him that the elven-lord really thought of him as his son, and that it was the reason why he was pushing him so hard. Her brother had looked quite dubious when she had told him that, but didn't protest. Instead, he asked about her, if she had found someone on Earth or in Middle-Earth.

_"Nay"_ she said. _"Not yet. I thought I had indeed found someone, but after his death I realised that what drew me to him were his similarities with you. I grieve for the friend he was, for he was one, and very dear to me, but not for the lover that could have been…"_

_"He reminded you of me?"_ Aragorn asked, eyebrow raised.

_"Aye. He was a good man, ready to die for his loved ones – and he did, with a relieved look on his face for his death had kept them safe a little longer. He had the aura of a ranger. Someone who would protect, but who would also wander. Aye, deep inside he was a wanderer, someone who had not yet found his place on Earth…"_

_"All that is gold does not glitter. Not all who wander are lost…"_ Aragorn quoted. _"He was Harry's godfather, if my memory is true?"_

_"Yes. I miss him dearly, but it is Harry's loss who is the greatest. Sirius was the closest thing to a father he ever had. To lose him now, so quickly after their reunion, nearly destroyed him."_

_"Which is why you chose to send him here rather than at Imaldris."_

_"True. I knew that if someone could help him through this, it would be the Lady of the Golden Woods. Lorièn has this aura that allows one to grieve easier. Which is what Harry needed. What we all need."_

_"And you, Onoone? Have you allowed yourself to grieve?"_

_"Yes"_ she answered, and he sensed the honesty in her voice. _"I have. He died in battle, protecting us. I like to think that this was the way he would have wanted to go. He was a great person, and I will miss him, but I know he wouldn't want me to wallow in self-pity."_

Estel looked at her, once again struck by the wisdom his sister was radiating. He knew that this man's, Sirius's, death had probably hurt her more than she was letting on. So he held her close for a while, until they both decided that it was more than time to go and get some rest if they wanted to leave early in the morning.

* * *

As they arrived at the resting place that had been set up for them, they were surprised to see Boromir still awake, sitting at the foot of a massiv tree.

With an encouraging nod from his sister, the heir to the throne of Gondor walked up to him.

"Take some rest. These borders are well protected." He said, surprising the Gondorian.

"I will find no rest here. I heard her voice inside my head. She spoke of my father and the fall of Gondor." Boromir said, his voice heavy and despairing. " She said to me, _even now, there is hope left_, but I cannot see it. It is long since we had any hope."

Aragorn remained silent, but sat down next to the soldier, his face grim and concerned. Behind them, out of Boromir's sight, Hermione was watching their interaction. It was the first time since the Fellowship had set out that the two men were actually having a real conversation. Boromir was speaking again, his eyes looking far away, as if they could see the White City despite the distance.

"My father is a noble man, but his rule is failing, and our people lose faith. He looks to me to make things right and I would do it. I would see the glory of Gondor restored."

His face lost it's grim look, now arboring a peaceful one.

" Have you ever seen it, Aragorn? The White Tower of Ecthelion, glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver, its banners caught high in the morning breeze ? Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets?"

As he was talking, Hermione could feel her heart reaching out to him, to her fellow Gondorian. She, too, longed to see the White Tower again, to once again walk through the seven levels and to watch as the White tree bloomed once again. As she looked at her brother, she could see that, despite all his harsh words about Gondor and it's people, Estel was feeling the same.

"I have seen the White City, long ago." He answered, trying to hide his emotion.

Boromir looked at him, eyes burning with determination and pride – pride for his city, pride for his people, as if willing Aragorn to feel the same.

"One day"he said fervently "our paths will lead us there and the tower guard will take up the call: The Lords of Gondor have returned!"

The Dunedain smiled, a faint smile, but a smile nonetheless, before standing up and reaching a hand out for the other man.

"One day" he repeated, in a whisper, before adding, louder: "Let's get some rest. We leave early in the morrow."

* * *

They left the Golden Woods the next day, after one last talk with the Lady of Light. Upon each of them, she had bestowed a present. To Merry and Pippin she gave the daggers of the Noldurin, who had already seen war. To Sam, she gave elven rope, as well as a little box containing seeds and earth from Lothlorièn. To Frodo, who still looked wary of her, she presented a crystyl bottle containing the light of Elendil, the elves most beloved star. To Legolas she offered the bow of the Galadrims, of beautiful craftmanship, and she granted Gimli, who had apparently fallen under her charm, his wish and gave him not one, but three of her golden hair. She had then turned to the three humans. To Luna she had gifted a beautiful sword, with elvish runes to warn her of orcs and goblins, and to the young wizard she had bestowed a bag of her best healing herbs. And to the lone Gondorian soldier she had given armguards, black with the white tree of Gondor.

Only then had she turned to the Dunedain siblings, and to Aragorn at first. To him she had given an emerald brooch in the shape of a flying eagle, and the name of "Elessar", "elvenstone". Then she had finally looked at Ithilwen.

* * *

**"_Walk with me, Aranhilwen (Kingsheir)"_ she said, and the young woman followed her to the water mirror. **

**The fair-haired lady went and took something from a box hidden in the rock.**

**"_I wanted to give you this away from prying eyes"_ she explained as she returned. _"Your mother left it in my care the last time I saw her, shortly before her illness claimed her. I think she had forseen her death a long time ago, probably shortly after your father, Arathorn, died."_**

**She handed her the box, which the Dunedain took with shaking hands. Slowly, she opened it. Inside, laying on a dark-blue cushion, was a beautifuly crafted necklace. A silver owl with saphire eyes, her claws holding an onyx disk with, cisled in pure mithril, the white tree of Gondor and it's seven stars.**

**_"It is beautiful"_**** she breathed.**

**"_This necklace, like your brother's brooch, is a symbol of your origins and of your link to the white city. These jewels have been passed down since the times of Elendil, to be worn by the line of the Kings. Your has not been worn for eight generations, for long has it been since a daughter has graced Isildur's line. But today it shall been worn again, by a Maiden of Gondor."_**

**Seeing that Ithilwen was still frozen, the elf gently took the necklace from her hands and put it around the Dunedain's neck.**

**_"Never forget who you are, Ithilwen, Estel. Gondor is part of you, as you are part of him."_**

**With a start, Hermione whirled around and saw her brother standing behind her, a thoughtful look on his face.**

**_"Go now, your friends are waiting. May the Valars watch over you, mellon nins."_**

**_"And may they keep the woods safe"_**** The siblings answered as one, bowing deeply in front of the lady of Light.**

* * *

They had left by boat, travelling over the river. Legolas shared his boat with Gimli, Boromir with Merry and Pippin, who had taken quite a liking to the soldier – which was reciprocated. The halflings had even managed to convince him to give up his undershirt when they had been trying to cross Caradhras **(1)**. Aragorn had taken with him Frodo and Sam, while Hermione travelled with the two teenagers, chatting about things that had happened since their arrival in Middle-Earth.

As they stopped for the night, Boromir told Aragorn he had seen Gollum following them.

"He's been following us since Lorièn" The Dunedain said. "I had hoped to lose him on the river, but he's too clever a waterman."

Even as she was trying to convince Frodo to eat something, Hermione was kept an eye on the two men. And a few minutes later, her fears were proved right when the conversation turned to an argument, though they tried to keep their voice down so as to not alarm the hobbits with disension inside the Fellowship.

"There is a safer road" Boromir was saying, once again trying to convince Aragorn to rejoin Minas Tirith. "You know that! From there we could regroup! Strike out to Mordor from a place of strength!"

Her brother's hissed answer brought anger inside of her, though she knew he didn't really believe that – and she could, partly, blame Elrond for his thinking.

"There's no strength in gondor that can avail us!"

"You are quick enough to trust the elves! Do you have so little faith in your own people? Yes there is weakness, there is frailty, there is courage also!And honor to be found in them! But you will not see that! You are afraid! All you life you have lived in the shadows, scared of who you are, of what you are!"

The Sorceress winced at Boromir's angry reply, knowing how deeply his words had just hurt her brother.

"I will not lead the ring within a hundred leagues of your city" Aragorn snapped, his words final.

* * *

Two days later, the two mens still weren't talking to each other, except when they had to.

Even so, they progressed quickly, and soon Hermione could see the crowns of the Kings of Old.

"Aragorn!" she called over the water. "The Argonath!"

No other words were needed, and the hobbits, dwarf, elf and humans could only stare in wonder at the imposant statues.

"Better than that pathetic excuse of a fountain at the ministery, hu?" Hermione chuckled.

They were in sight of Rauros falls when they stopped again.

"We'll cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot. We'll cross mordor by the north" Aragorn said as they pulled the boats on land.

Gimli protested, enumerating all the obstacles that still stood between them and Mordor. Aragorn simply smiled.

"That is our road. I suggest you rest and recover your strength, master dwarf" came his answer, sending said dwarf into spluttering denial of needing rest.

* * *

While the others were otherwise occupied, Legolas quietly confronted the siblings.

_"We should leave now"_ he said, his face grim.

"_I agree, Onoono."_ Hermione said. _"We should have stopped on the eastern shores."_

_"No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness"_

_"It is not the eastern shore that worries me"_ Legolas stated, frowning._ "The shadow of a treath has been growing in my mind. Something dwells in here. I can feel it"_

_"I sense great evil on this shore"_ the young woman confirmed. _"We need to be careful and stay together…"_

Just then, Merry's worried exclamation reached them.

"Frodo? Where is Frodo?"

"_We should have ordered them to stay here earlier"_ Hermione groaned, looking around. "Sam! Where are the others?"

"Er… Boromir went to gather some wood, and I think Harry saw some healing herbs that way…"

"Luna, Gimli! You stay here with the rest of the hobbits!" Aragorn barked. "Legolas, find Harry and bring him back here! Ithilwen, you're with me! _I fear what the Ring may have pushed Boromir to do. You are the most likely to calm him if it is the case."_

She nodded grimly, and they left together.

* * *

Done! The next chapter should be out in two-three weeks max, I promise!

So, what did you think? Like it? Hate it? And as always, do not hesitate to point out any mistakes you see! And if someone is interested in beta-reading this story... send me an mp!

**(1) Inspired by majorbee's amazing story: Boromir's Journey Home Amon Hen to Minas Tirith. If you love Boromir, it's a story for you!**


	13. Of travels, fights and fears

**Disclaimer**: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

**Category**: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

**Pairings**: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

**Summary**: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

**Notes:** _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

**AN**: Here we go! Only twenty days since my last updates, I'm getting better! Life has been a bit quieter these days, thought it's going to be harder to update come december. Exams are a b*tch. Especially those that start the second week of january. I can say good bye to my Christmas Hollidays. Yay.

**Desi-Pari Always**: ... Okay, you have a good argument there. I'll try. But as I said, romance is not on the programm for now. But I'll try, I promise. And psychic power would be nice... I think. Sadly, I don't have any... or do "feelings" count? Like, you wake up with the feeling that something bad is going to happen and then something bad happens?

**LeonaMasha**: You read it all again, starting from the first chapter? Wow! Thanks, really, it touches me (does this expression exist in english?) that my story managed to take you in another world as you put it.

**yoyoyo**: Thanks! As I said, there won't be any romance for now, but there will be some later. As for the people of Hogwarts, you won't see them until the end of the War, when Hermione returns on Earth to clean up the mess xD

**Florina Sunchild**: There you go missy ;) But I can't update too often, something really annoying called "Real Life", "College" and "Exams" like to monopolize what little "free time" I have -_-" Sorry :(

* * *

Last time in The Light of Ithilwen

While the others were otherwise occupied, Legolas quietly confronted the siblings.

_"We should leave now"_ he said, his face grim.

"_I agree, Onoono."_ Hermione said. _"We should have stopped on the eastern shores."_

_"No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness"_

_"It is not the eastern shore that worries me"_ Legolas stated, frowning._ "The shadow of a treath has been growing in my mind. Something dwells in here. I can feel it"_

_"I sense great evil on this shore"_ the young woman confirmed. _"We need to be careful and stay together…"_

Just then, Merry's worried exclamation reached them.

"Frodo? Where is Frodo?"

"_We should have ordered them to stay here earlier"_ Hermione groaned, looking around. "Sam! Where are the others?"

"Er… Boromir went to gather some wood, and I think Harry saw some healing herbs that way…"

"Luna, Gimli! You stay here with the rest of the hobbits!" Aragorn barked. "Legolas, find Harry and bring him back here! Ithilwen, you're with me! _I fear what the Ring may have pushed Boromir to do. You are the most likely to calm him if it is the case."_

She nodded grimly, and they left together.

* * *

Half an hour later, they finally found the hobbit at Amon Hem.

"Frodo!" Aragorn yelled, but the Halfling took a step back.

"Stay away!" he screamed "Stay away!"

"Frodo" Hermione's voice was gentle "It is us…"

"It has taken Boromir!" Frodo screamed, and the woman felt her heart thigthen.

"We swore to protect you" The Ranger whispered, but his voice was heard nonetheless.

"But can you protect me from yourself?"

And with that the Halfling opened his hand, presenting the Ring to them.

"Would _you_ destroy it?" he asked again.

Immediately, both siblings felt the power of the artifact tempting them, whispering sweet words in their ears. With a mental battle-cry, Hermione silenced it.

Aragorn was walking towards Frodo and knelt in front of him, bringing himself down to the hobbit's height, and she went to stand by her brother's side.

"We would have gone with you to the end" he said as he closed Frodo's hand around the Ring. "Into the fires of Mordor."

"I know" he answered, his face pale, but resolute. "Look after the others. Espescially Sam. He will not understand."

"Do not worry, little one" Hermione assured as she got down on her knees and hugged the hobbit. "We shall take care of them and…"

She swore and stood up suddenly, drawing her blade.

"Orcs" she spat.

"Ithilwen, take Frodo to the boats, I'll take care of them!"

For once she didn't protest, knowing he was the better swordman while she was the better runner. She grabbed the Hobbit and _ran_.

* * *

They were nearly caught once, but Merry and Pippin, brave little souls if there ever were, distracted the ennemy, and they escaped, Hermione vowing to get back to them as soon as she could.

They were in sight of the shore when they heard it. Powerfull notes resonating through the entire woods, a mighty call for help.

Gondor's Horn, Boromir's most treasured possession. She turned to face Frodo, who nodded. She hugged him tightly.

"Be strong, little one. The road to Mordor is a hard one, full of dangers and perils. Do what you have set out to do, but do not forget to come back to us."

And with that she turned around and ran into the woods, with a speed rivaling that of the elves.

* * *

The Horn of Gondor called again, desperate, and a ferocious war cry built up in the Dunedain's throat before she let it out.

**"Stand strong, Man of Gondor! Help is on it's way!"**

A similar cry entoned from where the hord had sounded.

"**For Gondor! And for Mankind!"** she heard Boromir roar.

But his cry was cut off by a sickening thud that nearly caused the elven raised woman to falter. When she heard the second thud, she ran even faster, faster than most of the elves would have been able to, but the thirsd arrow hit it's target before she reached the clearing where her kinsman had been fighting.

Boromir was on the ground, on his knees, trying his best to stand up despite the three arrows embded in his chest. In front of him stood an Uruk-Haï, the archer probably, by the bow he carried, ready to fire again and kill her friend.

"Not on my watch!" she growled and shot forwards, sword in hand, chopping off the orc's bowarm.

* * *

Asked later, she was unable to remember what happened between that arm hitting the ground and the moment she knelt next to Boromir. But the orc had been obliterated, his remains spred over the whole clearing, and she was kneeling next to her fallen friend, whose breath was hazardous.

"They took the little ones" he managed to say. "Merry and Pippin… you have to follow them! Do not linger because of me, for I have failed you all… I tried to take the Ring from Frodo and…"

"It was not you, but the Ring's Power who caused this attack" Hermione whispered. "Why would you blame yourself when none of us blames you? Nay my friend, we will _not_ abandon you!"

"Ithilwen! Boromir!" It was Aragorn, and not a second later he was at the fallen soldier's side.

"They took the little ones" Boromir breathed out, ignoring Ithilwen's attempt at pulling the arrows out

"Be still!" Aragorn commanded gently, reaching out to help his sister.

But the Gondorian was relentless.

"Frodo, where is Frodo?"

"We let Frodo go" Ithilwen answered in a whisper."

The soldiers face took an air of relief, and the shadow of a smile grace his lips.

"Then you did what I could not." He strained himself to face Aragorn, wanting him to know the truth of what had happened. " I tried to take the Ring from him!"

"The ring is beyond our reach now." Aragorn said gently, but Boromir reached out a hand to weakly grip the Dunedain's arm.

"Forgive me! I did not see, I have failed you all!" He told the Ranger, his eyes begging for forgiveness.

But the Ranger would have none of that.

"No Boromir, you have fought bravely. You've kept your honor!"

He was about to take one of the arrows out when the Gondorian weakly tried to stop him.

"Leave it! It is over!"

"Not. On. My. Watch!" The female Dunedain growled, eyes blazing.

"You do not have time for this!" the injured man tried to protest. "Merry and Pippin…"

"Have been taken alive for a reason and are probably on their way to Isengard and no one knows this part of the world better than my brother! We will get them back _after we've healed you! _Do. You. Get. It?"

Just as she was saying that, the other's arrived in the clearing, immediately joining them. Without a pause, Harry joined Hermione in taking out the arrows, his hands glowing as he held them above the wounds. Slowly, the arrows came out of the flesh, surrounded by emerald light, while the wounds slowly began to heal themselves. The wizard's eyes were focused on the man, not listening to Hermione's report, sweat forming on his brow. Under his magic order, the flesh was knitting itself slowly, closing the wounds. He stopped suddenly and called for Hermione.

"I cannot close his wounds" he said, his fale pale and feeling exhausted from what he had just done. "There is poison in there that is fighting my magics!"

The Dunedain siblings swore at the samed time, Aragorn sniffing at the arrows while Hermione was fumbling in her bag.

"We will need athelas for sure" the oldest of the two said. "And some of Lord Elrond's tincture if you have any. This is a new poison, no doubt one of Saruman's new devilry! These orcs were wearing the White Hand of Isengard, not the Red Eye of Sauron!"

Without a word, his sister handed him a pack of Athelas leaves while getting a small bottle of tincture out of her bag. With great care, she used it to wash what poison was left in the wound themselves before ordering Boromir to chew some herbs she had taken out at the same time. Meanwhile, the heir of Isildur was chewing on the athelas leaves until they formed some kind of paste which he then put on the wounds before bandaging them.

"That's the best we can do for now" he stated, face grim " but you will need bed rest and medication as soon as possible."

"But the little ones…" he protested weakly.

"We will get them" Aragorn promised "We will split up and…"

But the fever had overtaken Boromir and he wasn't listening.

"I failed them! I failed you all! And now the world of men will fall, and all will come to darkness, my city to ruin!"

Hermione was ready to say something, but her brother beat her to it, locking his eyes into Boromir's.

"I do not know what strength is in my blood" he said, his voice deep and strong " but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail!"

This seemed to get through the Gondorian soldier, who looked at him with hope in his eyes.

"Our people, our people. I would have would have followed you, my Brother... my Captain... my King!"

"I know you would have, Boromir of Gondor. And I know you will, for this is not yet the end of this war! And one day, one day our paths will lead us to the White City, called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets, and the tower guard will take up the call "The Lords of Gondor have returned!" "

Ithilwen, who had been agreably surprised by her brother's promise, couldn't help the smile that took over her face, even as the gondorian fell asleep, the soporific she had given him finally taking effect. But it quickly vanished as she turned to her brother, who had picked up Boromir's armguards and was fastening them to his own forearms, the White Tree of Gondor shining brightly despite the Orc blood staining the metal and leather the armguards were made of.

"The orcs took the path to Isengard" She told him. "Through the plains of Rohan."

"Then it is the road we too shall take. Ithilwen, you and Hadrian will take Boromir to Edoras. You know the Rohirrims. Find somewhere to take care of Boromir without anyone finding out. We can not risk you being detected by Saruman! Your combined magics should be able to move a stretcher without slowing you down too much. I saw Sam following Frodo. They will take care of each other. We will be going after the Hobbits. Luna, you'll be coming with us. We might need a magic user."

"Find them and bring them back" was Hermione's reply. "We will be waiting for you at Meduseld."

And with that she started working on stretcher, ordering the teen to get her some long and solid branches. She did not turn around to see the others leave with a single nod, focused on her work.

* * *

"I thought you would have fought tooths and nails to go with them" Harry stated a little while after, as she was fastening a blanket to the stretcher's frame.

"Estel is the better tracker, and I'm the one with connections in Rohan. Despite having traveled a lot, Estel stayed mostly on his own, while I made use of the time I spent in Middle-Earth to forge bonds with nearly every country and specy. It comes in handy, sometimes. And, in a way, Brother is doing me a favor by allowing me to go to the aid of the Rohirrims. Theoden King is a great friend of mine, but he has been put under Saruman's spell and I fear what might happen to those under his care. Eowyn, Eomer or Theodred should be able to helps us out without his knowledge, as much as it pains me to go behind his back like this."

They worked side by side in silence, until the last wound was bandaged and the stretcher ready. Boromir was still fast asleep, courtesy of Hermione's herbs.

* * *

...

I know, it's a miracle

It's not a cliffhanger!

Sad, I know... But I wasn't in the mood. And the next chapters will more than make up for that niark niark niark...


	14. Of Reunions and Tears

**Disclaimer**: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

**Category**: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

**Pairings**: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

**Summary**: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

**Notes:** _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

**AN:** I'm getting the hang of this. Not even a month since my last update! But alas, it is very probably going to be the last update until the end of January. Blame my exams if you want to blame someone or something. As I said last time, they start at the beginning of January until the twenty-eight. Yay me. Goodbye Christmas Hols.

**Angel897:** Yes, Boromir lives. I love the guy. Not quite as much as I love Aragorn, mind you, but then again no one comes close to him *w* And yup, I love dramatics. I blame my brother. Always exagerating xD. Eomer doesn't need to be saved... I assume you were thinking of Theodred, Theoden's son? Well... you'll see in this chapter!

**cocoa85715:** No way I'm letting Boromir die! He kind of grew on me ;) Especially after seeing the actor in other movies (he makes an awesome Zeus in Percy Jackson!)

**NorthernLights25:** there you go ;) Hope you'll like it!

**Desi-Pari Always:** I stopped worrying about my sanity a long time ago xD but thankfully they don't happen that often. As for Harry questioning Hermione, I think it is important to show that, while Luna is able to take everything in stride and _somehow_ already knew about Hermione's secrets, Harry is still getting used to it and is sometime confused by how she acts and talks. There should be another scene like this in one of the next chapter, where he'll get annoyed by how she calls him... ;) And for Boromir's role in the rest of the story... Wait And See! But he won't play an important role in this chapter, that's all I can say

**LeonaMasha:** You're going to hate me because of this cliffhanger...

**:** Thank you! Hope this chapter is to your liking!

On a side note, has anybody heard about **Liz **lately? Because she's sooooo going to kill me with how I end this chapter...

**AN2:** I'm going with the film version for this scene, not the book. Which means that Theodred is in his twenties, not forty-one

And now to the story!

* * *

_Last time in: The Light of Ithilwen_

"I thought you would have fought tooths and nails to go with them" Harry stated a little while after, as she was fastening a blanket to the stretcher's frame.

"Estel is the better tracker, and I'm the one with connections in Rohan. Despite having traveled a lot, Estel stayed mostly on his own, while I made use of the time I spent in Middle-Earth to forge bonds with nearly every country and specy. It comes in handy, sometimes. And, in a way, Brother is doing me a favor by allowing me to go to the aid of the Rohirrims. Theoden King is a great friend of mine, but he has been put under Saruman's spell and I fear what might happen to those under his care. Eowyn, Eomer or Theodred should be able to helps us out without his knowledge, as much as it pains me to go behind his back like this."

They worked side by side in silence, until the last wound was bandaged and the stretcher ready. Boromir was still fast asleep, courtesy of Hermione's herbs.

* * *

They had been running towards Edoras for five days, the stretcher floating beside them, when they heard the sound of hooves hitting the ground. Quickly, Hermione hid them behind a rock formation, throwing the elven cloaks over them. Soon enough, an entire eored passed them, their horses quick and graceful, though a few of them had obviously lost their riders. As the last horse passed them, Hermione climbed on the top of the rocks and, unknowingly doing the exact same thing her brother had done a few days before, yelled:

"Riders of Rohan! What news from the March?"

As one, they turned around, riding towards the little group, while Harry looked at her in confusion.

"I thought we _weren't_ supposed to bring attention to ourselves?"

"I know this eored" was all she said, and before they knew it the riders were upon them, one of them jumping off his horse as soon as it came to a halt.

With a laugh, Ithilwen jumped down the rock and he caught her, twirling her around before letting her down.

"It is good to see you again, sister" he said with a sad smile."I had hoped for this reunion to be a more joyous one, but alas! Both of us know it isn't. You have lost some of your companions, and another is badly hurt, and I was banished…"

"You were _what?_" She shrieked, furious. "Who? Who could have poisoned Theoden's mind to the point of making him banish his own kin? What of Theodred? What of Eowyn? Did some harm befall on them too?"

Eomer sighed.

"Theodred is dying, sister. He got badly injured in a an ambush, and I fear he will not last to see the next moon… Eowyn was still at his side when Grima Wormtongue took advantage of my uncle's weak state to banish me…"

"I will _not_ allow that!" She was burning with rage now, magic flaring around her. "Wormtongue will _pay_!"

"We have been looking for you since we met your brother and his friends three days ago. We prepared some horses for you, and a messenger was sent to my sister to warn her of your arrival. We cannot accompany you any further, but our hearts are with you, sister. Ride fast."

"Ride free, brother, but do not go too far. We might need your help soon" she said as she embraced him while two Rohirrims fastened the stretcher between two horses while two others were led to them.

They nodded at each other and parted immediately, Eomer jumping on his horse and whirling around, taking the rest of the eored with him.

"Who was that?" Harry asked his friend who was already mounting her grey mare.

"Eomer, son of Eomund, nephew of Theoden King, and my honorary brother" she answered simply. "Hurry now; I need to see Theodred!"

* * *

They arrived at the golden halls in the dead of the night, but two Rohirrims were waiting for them.

"The Lady Eowyn sent us" one said. "She apologize for not greeting you herself, but with Prince Theodred's condition…"

"Then do not let us dawdle. Both Hadrian and myself are healers who may be able to help, and our companion needs rest. Can we count on your discretion?"

"Always, My Lady"

"Then hurry."

The two men grabbed the stretcher before leading them through some secret passages to the apartments of Therodred. As soon as they entered, Hermione found herself engulfed by her honorary sister.

"Everything will be alright, sister, I promise" the Dunedain whispered. "Now do let go of me so I can take care of our trouble-attracting cousin. Would you mind checking Boromir's bandages while Hadrian and I try to heal the Prince?"

"Of… of course not!"

She led them to the barely conscious young man with tears in her eyes.

"Can you… Can you save him?"

"We can try" was all the answer she got before the two healers turned to their patient.

"Ith… Ithilwen?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Did… did you come… to help… father?"

"Your father can wait" came the gruff reply "You need my help more than he does, right now. I do not recall giving you permission to die on me, Theodred son of Theoden! Should you die, I will have to bring you back just so I can kill you myself for disobeying my orders!"

Meanwhile, Harry was already at work, trying to close the Prince's wounds.

"Poison" he stated soon after the glow around his hands started. "The same as Boromir's."

While he was very skilled in healing injuries and broken bones, he had only recently started to learn about poisons and illnesses, but Ithilwen simply nodded and went to work. She took some herbs and leaves out of her bag. Quickly and efficiently, she started to grind some of them, putting others in a pot of boiling water while forcing her honorary cousin to chew on the rest.

In the meantime, Harry was busy repairing the physical damages caused by the orcs, closing all but on wound – he could not close the one through which the poison had entered the body, not until his friend got rid of all the venom.

* * *

Finally, after long hours of hard work, the Dunedain allowed the Prince to drift to sleep, having kept him awake during the entire procedure. With a tired sigh, she turned to Boromir in order to check on his injuries. She had sent both Harry and Eowyn to sleep two hours ago, when it became evident that they were dead on their feet and unlikely to be of any help. The Rohirrim had protested, but the sleep she had denied herself the last three days had taken hold on her and she was now sleeping in her own rooms while Harry, unused to long journeys followed immediately by difficult medical operations, had been sent to a small guestroom not too far away.

The Gondorian was fast asleep when she got to him, and she took care not to wake him up as she soundlessly checked his vitals, frowning a bit at the sight fever he was running before moving to inspect his wounds. They seemed to be healing properly, but it would probably be a good idea to give him some athelas again, just in case there had been some poison left in his injuries, even thought she had gotten most of it out already. One could never be careful enough with both Saruman and Sauron as one's enemy, after all. Theodred was proof of that, and Boromir had been mostly unconscious during their travels, the poison taking it's toll on the already injured soldier.

She sighed again as she sat down on the chair next to the Prince's bed, her heart clenching as she finally admitted the truth to herself. The young man in front of her would not live to see another moon. She had known that as soon as she had seen his broken body, but had denied it as long as she could. Had it only been injuries, she could have saved him, especially with Harry's help. But the poison… the poison was something else altogether. It had been one of Saruman's newest concoction, something she had encountered for the first time less than a week before, and it had nearly taken Boromir's life before she had found a way to stop it. But for Theodred, it was already too late. The poison had had days, if not weeks, to get into his system. It was slow-working, and though he was more resistant to it than Boromir had been (having always followed her advice – or rather, her order – of drinking a daily cup of athelas tea) the signs were there. He had already lost feeling in most of his legs as the poison attacked the muscles and was running a high fever. At this rate she could keep him alive for a week, ten days at the most. But not more. Not even Elrond would have been able to save him at this point.

Tears were silently running down her cheek as she wiped his brow with a wet cloth.

"I am sorry, Theodred" She whispered. "I was too late…"

* * *

Theodred slept for nearly four days, except for short moments when Hermione would wake him in order to give him some medicine and broth. Both her and Harry had kept to his rooms, being careful not to be seen. This became even more necessary after being nearly caught by Grima Wormtongue himself as he confronted Eowyn. The young wizard had to physically restrain his friend from killing the backstabber, which hadn't helped.

* * *

The prince woke on his own in the middle of the fifth night since their arrival at Meduseld.

"Ithilwen?" He croaked, though his voice was less hoarse than it could have been, courtesy of the athelas.

"I am here, Theodred" she answered from the chair by his side, grabbing on of his hands in her own, her other hand gently wipping away the sweat on his brow.

"How long do I have?" He whispered, already knowing he wouldn't survive this.

He had known it from the very moment the arrow had pierced his chest, and his fears had been confirmed by the grim face the Dunedain had sported while treating his wounds.

"Two days" came the tear-filled answer. "Three at most."

He could hear her sobs, despite the darkness of the room preventing him from seeing her face, but didn't call her on her tears, knowing that she was crying for him.

"Who else knows?"

"Harry… Hadrian suspects it, I think, but won't tell. I… I haven't found it in me to tell Eowyn yet… and your father…" The sobs strengthened. "Damn it! Why do I always have to be too late? I was too late to save Eomund from the Orcs, too late to save Theodwyn from her illness, too late to save Elfhild, and now I am too late to save you from this blasted poison! Why? Why?"

"None of these were your fault, Ithilwen…" The prince tried to sooth her, his finger weakly grasping her hand. "And my death won't be your fault either… The Valars decided that my time on Middle-Earth was about to end…"

"It shouldn't!" She cried out. "You're barely twenty-two, cousin! Why should you have to go so soon?"

"It is my fate, Ithilwen, and I have accepted it" he said softly, meaning every word. "I only have one wish to you, cousin."

"Anything you ask of me, cousin, I'll do it for you" she swore, wipping away her tears with the back of her right hand, her left still gripping Theodred's.

"I want to say goodbye…" Theodred whispered. "To Eowyn. To my beautiful Elwyn. And to my father. Not to the puppet who took his place and who would rejoice in seeing me dead, but to the father he was and the King he can still be. Will you do that for me, cousin?"

"On my life, on my honor, on my soul, I swear, Theodred son of Theoden, to grant you this wish" she swore, his hands in hers, before standing up.

"Dawn will soon be upon us. Rest until then, while I go and bring back your father, should it cost me my life! Hadrian shall keep an eye on you until then, and should you wish for someone to talk about military matters, Boromir, son of Denethor, is resting on the other bed."

She bent down to give his brow a gentle kiss, and, as she did, he felt a single tear fall down on his head. But she was already at the door, ready to leave to wake Harry, when she said, so softly he barely heard it:

"I'm sorry"

She left the room before he could tell her that she had nothing to be sorry for.

* * *

*hides*

Don't kill me! Please, please don't kill me!

*comes out with a white flag*

Erm... what can I say...

I wanted to save Theodred. I really did. I even have the written draft of this scenario. But... But it would have changed too many things in the long run.

But I couldn't let him die like he did in the book (at the river, just as other Rohirrims finds him, telling them to leave him there to protect the river until Eomer's return) or in the movie (passing away in the middle of the night, with only Eowyn at his side, without seeing his father again). And I couldn't do that to Theoden either. He already has to bury his son, the least I could do was to give him a chance to say goodbye.

It also shows that Hermione can't save _everyone._ She's not a Mary-Sue, She is powerful, yes, and possess a lot of knowledge, but she's not allmighty...

...

*hides again*

*from behind her hiding place, displays a banner*

"Review and tell me what you thought of this chapter! But please don't kill me! Or you'll never know how the story ends!"


	15. Of slaps and broken spells

**Disclaimer**: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

**Category**: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

**Pairings**: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

**Summary**: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

**Notes:** _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

AN: Sorry for the wait, everyone! My exams ended on the 23th, and I needed time to watch the second movie again, so this chapter is only coming out now. And let me tell you, it might be my first year of college, but these exams are though! I didn't sleep more thant four hours a night in two weeks, so I've kind of been catching up on that too.

I'm relieved to see that none of you hates me because of Theodred. Yeah, it's sad, but it's also necessary for the continuity of the plot. And, as I said last chapter, to prevent Hermione becoming a Mary-Sue. I HATE Mary-Sues. OC's are allright, but keep them realistic damn it! Or adjust the ennemies in consequence, and don't let your characters become perfect! No one is perfect in real life, and no one is perfect in fiction either. Perfection is overrated, anyway.

Sorry for the rant. Mary-Sue's are just some of my pet peeves...

**Lauramichca:** Yeah, Boromir's got a bigger role to play in my version of the story than Theodred. Theodred surviving would also mean that Eomer wouldn't take over as Rohan's King, among other problems that I don't want to deal with. As for Haldir, don't worry about him. I've got plans for him...

**Desi-Pari Always:** *wipes sweat away from her brow* Phew, that was a close one! I really didn't like the sadistic smile I _know_ you were sporting when you wrote that review! As for Harry's name, it's still not for this chapter. Expect the explanation either in the next chapter or in the one after that ;) As for the matter of Hermione, Eowyn and Legolas... good idea, but I already have something in mind for Eowyn concerning Aragorn. Keep in mind that she doesn't know that he's Hermione's brother, nor that the both of them are Dunedains. There will be an explanation about that in the road to Helm chapter - either the next or the one after the next. But Theodred's death will play a role in Ithilwen's relationship with Legolas, that I can tell you.

**Celebithil Slytherin:** KEEP THAT BOW AWAY FROM ME! Thank you. Shooting me wouldn't help the story along, you know? It would just mean I would be stuck at home with my mom hovering above me, preventing me from spending too much time on the computer, instead of going back to my college flat and having all the time in the world (asides from my studies, of course...) Thank you for the compliments about my writing, and I'm happy that you like the fact that I'm trying to keep it as close to the story as possible while still inserting change. It's hard to navigate between the two sometimes... I'm mainly basing myself on the movies now, though, since I lent my books to a friend who lives more than 800km away xD

Thanks to **cocoa85715,angel897,NorthernLights25,,pixie freak,elvi rhys **for their reviews! And now, back to the story!

* * *

_Previously in : The Light of Ithilwen_

_"I want to say goodbye…" Theodred whispered. "To Eowyn. To my beautiful Elwyn. And to my father. Not the puppet who took his place, but to the father he was and the King he can still be. Will you do that for me, cousin?"_

_"On my life, on my honor, on my soul, I swear, Theodred son of Theoden, to grant you this wish" she swore, his hands in hers, before standing up._

_"Dawn will soon be upon us. Rest until then, while I go and bring back your father, should it cost me my life! Hadrian shall keep an eye on you until then, and should you wish for someone to talk about military matters, Boromir, son of Denethor, is resting on the other bed."_

_She bent down to give his brow a gentle kiss, and, as she did, he felt a single tear fall down on his head. But she was already at the door, ready to leave to wake Harry, when she said, so softly he barely heard it:_

_"I'm sorry"_

_She left the room before he could tell her that she had nothing to be sorry for._

* * *

_**The westfolds are burning. Burning and crying. Men of the North, attacking. A mother, forcing her daughter and son on a horse and watching as he carried them away. Men and women of the West, dead on the ground. Others fleeing as fast as they could.**_

_**The westfolds are burning.**_

* * *

Hermione gasped and had to steady herself against the wall as the vision hit her just as she had left Theodred's room.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" Came a worried voice as Harry left the room the two healers had been given.

"I will be" She said quickly. "I need you to take my place at Theodred's side. There are people I need to see."

"I thought no one could know we were here?" He asked, confused.

"Theodred… He will not last much longer, Hadrian" she said softly, locking her own feelings deep inside herself. "He asked to see some people one last time."

Harry flinched at her use of his given name rather than the nickname he preferred to use, but didn't ask about it, knowing now wasn't the time.

"Does Lady Eowyn knows?"

"Not yet. She is one of the people he asked to see."

"The others?"

"His fiancee, Elwyn. And his father." She said simply as she walked away, towards Eowyn's apartments.

* * *

"Sister?" She said in a soft voice as she knocked at the door. "Are you there?"

The door opened, revealing the Shield Maiden of Rohan wearing a pure white dress, her face paler than usual.

"Ithilwen? Has something happened to Theodred?"

"He is asking for you" The Dunedain said, evading the question. "And for his betrothed, Elwyn. Do you know where I could find her?"

"I'll get her on my way" the blonde said, a tear running down her face as she understood just why her cousin was asking for her. "How… how long does he has?"

"Two days" Hermione whispered. "Three at the most. I am going to get Theoden King. Theodred wants to say his farewells"

"Eomer will not be able to make it here in time" Another tear rolled down the Maiden's face as she grabbed her friend's hands in hers, eyes pleading. "I beg you, Sister – bring my uncle back to his senses! So that he, at least, can by at his son's side in his last moments!"

"I swore an oath" Ithilwen said softly. "to my cousin who lies on his death bed to bring his father to him, and I do not intend to be an oath breaker."

And with that she walked away, her steps strong as they led her through one of the secret passages that exited in a narrow alley close to Meduseld.

* * *

As she got out, she noticed a commotion at the foot of the stairs leading to the Golden Halls. Quickening her pace, she reached the stairs just as her brother, Legolas, Luna and Gimli dismounted. But her eyes were set on the last figure of the group as she descended on him in fury.

**SLAP!**

Too fast for even Legolas's eyes to see, her hand connected with Gandalf's face.

"_You!"_ she seethed. _"Do you have any idea how worried I was? How scared I was that you might be gone for good? The Valars may have put my fears to rest, but do you have any idea just how terrifying it was to meet them? Damn you Mithrandir, you promised you would not leave me until I was ready!"_

"_But you were ready, dear child."_

"_I was not! I was not ready to lose you, I was not ready to deal with everyone's grief, I was not ready to take up the mantle of the Grey, and I. Was. Not. Ready. For. You. To. Leave. Me!" _she hissed before breaking down in tears in the old man's arms.

"_Calm down, dear child. I am here, Aranhilwen, and I do not plan on dying on you any time soon."_

"_Good"_ she said, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. "_Because dealing with Theodred's approaching death will be hard enough. _What of Merry and Pippin?" she asked, slipping back to Common Tongue, worry lacing her voice. "Have you seen them? Are they safe?"

"As safe as they can be, I swear" The old Wizard answered. "I left them in Treebard's care in Fangorn."

"You saw Treebard? Never mind, it can wait. Let us go in now, for I have promised my dying cousin that I would bring his father back, and I will need your help with that!"

With that, she let go of him, quickly embracing her brother, before leading them to the entrance of Meduseld. But they had barely reached the doors when a group of guards greeted them.

"I cannot allow you before Theoden King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame." A guard Hermione recognized as Hama said. "By order of Grima Wormtongue" he added, his face grim.

Gandalf nodded simply, telling the others to take off their weapons. The guards were rather surprised when Luna handed them two swords, three daggers, a bow and fifty arrows, not used to women who fought openly. Little did they know that the young woman still had one more weapon on her, concealed in her hair, one she was not about to part with.

"Your staff" Hama pointed out, frowning.

Gandalf had a half-pout on his face and was about to answer when Hermione, who hadn't be noticed by the guard until now, interrupted.

"Have you changed so much since my last visit, Hama, that you would part an old man from his walking stick? Shame on you, son of Gamla. What would dear Gerwyn, your mother, say about your manners?"

Said man blushed and stammered.

"L… Lady Ithilwen! I am sorry, I hadn't seen you! When did you arrive at Edoras?"

For it was obvious that she hadn't arrived with the newcomer, based on her clean clothes and non-armed state. Little did they know that her staff and sword were still there, hidden by the deep blue over-robe she was wearing.

"A few days ago, when word reached me of Prince Theodred's injury. Now, will you allow us to see Theoden King? Or will I have to send for your mother?"

Still stammering and beet red, the soldier led them in, Ithilwen making a show of taking Gandalf's free arm as if to support him.

Once inside, she was shocked by the grim and dark atmosphere. But what nearly made her gasp was the prone figure sitting on the throne. A far cry from the man she had known, she barely recognized Theoden in this broken old man. He looked as if five decades had gone by since her last visit, not the few years it had been. And the sight of the slimy little man next to her long-time friend was enough to make her blood boil in her veins. Only Gandalf's hand on her arm kept her calm.

"My lord" The worm said. "Gandalf the Grey is coming."

"_What am I, chopped liver?"_ Ithilwen growled under her breath, itching to punch the man.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late Théoden, King." Gandalf intoned.

" Why… should I… welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow"? Theoden croaked, voice weak.

"A just question, my liege." Grima sniveled. " Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. "Lathspell" I name him. Ill news is an ill guest."

Hermione looked ready to kill, but still her master held her back.

"Be silent." Gandalf glared at the man. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I did not pass through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm."

And he took out his staff and brandished it in Grima's face.

"His staff! I told you to take the Wizard's staff!" said man whined as he quickly walked away from them as armed men began to run at them. Though they weren't Rohirrims. In fact, Hermione saw Hama and Gamling ordering their men to stand down.

But she wasn't paying them any attention. She had taken out her staff and was following her teacher as he walked up to the King, trusting her brother and friends to have her back.

"Theoden! Son of Thengel! Too long have you sat it the shadows! Look at me!" He ordered. "I release you from the spell!"

But the laughs that came from the Kings throat weren't his own. Saruman was speaking through Theoden now.

"You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey!"

But his laughters quickly changed to whimpers as Gandalf shook off his grey over-robe, revealing his blinding white robe.

"Interesting piece of information for you, Saruman" Ithilwen sneered, an unusual expression on her usually calm face. "_I_ am the Grey Sorceress!"

She noted in passing, and with a jolt of glee, that Gimli was sitting on Wormtongue, but her attention was focused on Gandalf as he spoke again.

"I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound!"

Eowyn irrupted in the room at that exact moment, and seeing, her uncle hurting, was ready to run at his side when Aragorn caught her.

"Wait!" He whispered.

"If I go" Saruman threatened. "Theoden dies!"

"You did not kill me" Gandalf thundered "And you will not kill him!"

"Rohan is mine!" Saruman spat and launched himself at the two wizards.

"Not on my watch!" Ithilwen growled.

In the same move, the two of them raised their staves and hit the King on the forehead, projecting him back in his chair.

"Be gone!" They yelled as one.

As the king hit the chair, he started to shake, and Eowyn rushed at his side, quickly followed by Hermione. Before their very eyes, the man seemed to deage, his gaze becoming more focused as he locked his eyes on Eowyn.

"I know your face" He whispered. "Eowyn…"

The young woman nodded, a tear escaping from her eyes. The Kings gaze then turned to the young woman at his other side, his eyes widening as he recognized her.

"Ithilwen?" He breathed.

"It is good to see you again, my friend" she smiled.

His confused eyes then found the Wizard's equally blue ones.

"Breath the free air again, my friend" Gandalf told him when their eyes met.

The King stood up, shakily at first, steady after a few moments, as his people kneeled in front of him.

"Dark have been my dreams of late." He said as he looked at his shaking hands.

" Your fingers would remember their old strength better... if they grasped your sword." Gandalf smiled as Gamling brought forwards the Kings weapon.

Theoden's fingers closed around the sword, and his face became sterner. His eyes narrowed on Wormtongue, who was held by Gimli.

* * *

Two soldiers threw the traitor down the stairs as Theoden strided behind him, sword in hand.

"I've only ever served you, my lord!" the sniveling man whimpered.

"Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" The king spat.

"Send me not from your side!" the groveling man begged.

Theoden raised his sword, ready to end the traitor, but Hermione's arm on his stopped him.

"No, my friend - let him go. Enough blood has been spilt on his account." She whispered, even though she too would have liked nothing better than to run her sword through him. But deep inside herself she knew she could not allow her long-time friend to kill the worm. "Do not sully your sword with his slime. Death at your hands would be too much of a gift for him."

As she was calming down the King, her brother reached a hand out at the fallen man, only for the traitor to spit on him before running away, pushing the townspeople away as he did so.

"Hail Theoden King!" Gamling yelled and as one, the people of Edoras kneeled in front of their suzerain, as did the Dunedains.

But Theoden eyes were searching the crowd for someone, someone he didn't see. He turned to Gamling.

"Where is Theodred? Where is my son?"

Eowyn, who had stayed away from Grima's banishment, came forward and laid a hand on his arm.

"My lord" she said softly. "Theodred was ambushed by orcs and badly hurt, about a month ago. He asked for you to be brought to his side as soon as you regained your senses"

Theoden paled and turned to Ithilwen.

"We did everything we could" she told him, voice filed with sadness and remorse. "But by the time we heard about his injuries from Eomer, it was already too late. The arrows that hit him were poisoned. All I could do for him was to ensure that he was comfortable and to extend his time by a few days…"

"How… how long…" the King's voice broke.

"Two days at most. He… wanted to see you one last time. He asked me to bring back his father, "not the puppet who took his place, but the father he was and the King he can still be". I swore to make that happen, should it cost me my life. Go to him, Theoden."

The older man was already running back inside the citadel.

* * *

Done! Once again, sorry for the wait. I don't know when the next chapter will come out, I've reached the end of what I had handwritten. College starts again the 6th of february, and I'll try and write something before that. Keep in mind, though, that I've also have a real life, and a social life I kind of neglected in the past month because of my bloody exams, and I kind of intend to get these back, so it might be a while.

I know it's not a cliffhanger this time, I thought I ought to give you something to make up for the time it took me to update ;)

Hope you liked this chapter! Don't forget to leave me a review to let me know what you thought of it!

Meian Kurayami


	16. Of grief and determination

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

* * *

**Timeline**:

March 1st, TA 2931: Birth of Aragorn

September 19th, TA 2933: Birth of Hermione

October 27th, TA 2933: Death of Arathorn, Gilraen takes her children to Imaldris

August, TA 2941/ August, 1985: After an attack and the revelation that Ithilwen (age 8) has a magic unknown in this world, a magic that she cannot control and that is harmful both to her and to those around her, Gilraen, Elrond and Gandalf take the decision to send her to another world where she would learn to control this magic. Gilraen goes with her, along with two other Dunedains, Hamon and Ladriel. They go back to Middle-Earth every summer for two months - one month Earth time is the same as eight months Middle-Earth time, and one year earth time is the same as eight year middle-earth time.

September 1990/March 2980: Begin of the first Hogwarts year/Death of Thengel - Theoden becomes King of Rohan

July 1993/Febuary 21st, TA 3003: death of Gilraen

July 7th, 1995/ October 5th, TA 3018: start of this story

Hermiones age: in England: 16, nearly 17 (faking, with the help of de-aging potions)  
in Middle-Earth: 27 and a half  
should have been, had she not left Middle-Earth: 86

Hermione spend every summer in Middle-Earth, except the summer after fourth year since she stayed at Grimmauld Place. That makes eight summers, 16 months earthtimes, a little more than ten years middle-earth

**A more detailled timeline can be found here: http:/ .us/img 196/7514/timelinelightofithilwen. jpg (just clear the spaces)**

On the left is "Hermione's age" as opposed to "Ithilwen's age" on the right. I did this to mark the difference: Hermione is the girl who goes to Hogwarts. Ithilwen is the young woman travelling around Middle-Earth. The "would have been" tells the age she would have been had she never left middle-earth.

The first column in the July category reports the events that happened during the "Earth" school year, events which Hermione did not witness since she wasn't in Middle-Earth at the time. The first column in the September category has the events that happened during her stay in Middle-earth.

The January column is the reference: The first of January is the only date that is the same in both calendars, due to M-E's time being eight time faster. The July column symbolize the start of Hermione's holidays and the date of her return to Middle-Earth. September symbolize the end of the holidays and her return to England.

I hope it clears up a few things!

I took a few liberties compared to the books - with Theodred's date of birth, in particular. In the books, it's 2978, as opposed to 2994 in my timeline. I did this because I adhere to the film's view of Theodred - a young man in his early twenties, not a grown man of forty-one. As such, Elfhild, his mother, also died in 2994 instead of 2978, since she died in childbirth. I also invented Theoden's date of birth - I couldn't find that information. If anybody knows, please tell me and I will update the timeline.

* * *

**Author Note**: Well sh*t. I haven't updated since January 26th, despite saying I would try and update before febuary 6th, and despite the fact that this story now HAS MORE THAN 100 REVIEWS! Thank you so much guys, it's really great to know that there are people out there who love my work!

I am really sorry for not updating sooner, but a lot of thing happened lately - like my grandfather starting chemo, at 80, for prostate cancer, after having his bladder removed in december. It's taking it's toll on him, and I worried a lot. He seems to be handling it slightly better now, but I saw him sunday and he lost a lot of weight, in addition to being very tired all the time, and my grandmother is coddling him like a little child, which is what worries me the most since my grandfather has always been the kind of man to take charge and do things his way. Between that, college works which just seems to pile on, and my own health problems (f*cking allergies, added to extreme tiredness for no discernable reasons - I have to go and give a blood sample on Thursday for both - and I f*cking hate needles!), I just haven't been in writing mood, espescially since I basically had to write this chapter from scraps - I've reached the end of what I had already handwritten. What changed? No real idea. I guess I just got annoyed at myself for letting you down. So here goes... it is short, I know, but it's something. And I also spent the afternoon working on a better timeline for this story. The link is above and can also be found on my profile.

**CarlitaM:** Nope, I couldn't just cripple him... though I might try and write a story where that happens. The idea's been running in my head for a while... If you want a story where he survives, you might want to check **"The Wizard in the Shadows" **from Nimbus Llewelyn . It's a good story, with a lot of humor in his portrayal of Harry espescially.

**Desi-Pari Always:** Hehe, I love a badass Hermione too! I so badly wanted to write "News flash, Saruman: _I_ am the Grey Sorceress", but the "news flash" part just seemed wrong: I mean I try to have her speak like the characters do in the books, which means a higher level of english than the one teenagers use in England. The slap was planned from the start: I just can't see her not slapping him, after what he put her through, espescially since she couldn't tell anybody that he was alive! It was really hard on her! As for Legolas... here you go, girl! It's not much, but it's starting!

**cocoa85715:** Aw, don't cry :( (says the girl who cried writing chapter 14 and nearly cried writing this one...) I tried not to spend too much time on Theodred's death itself, and to focus more on Ithilwen's reaction to it. I also included a lot of new information - including the reason Eomer and Eowyn call her "sister"!

**Blade Draco:** Thanks! I really really hesitated with Wormtongue... Hermione really really wants to kill him, but she knows it can't be at Theoden's hands. She doesn't know it consciously, but it's a side-effect from the foresight she inherited from her mother, Gilraen, and grandmother, Ivorwen. As for the brother-sister-friend bonding thing, it's coming soon. There's already a bit of it here, between Hermione and Legolas (it's not romance yet... but it's a step towards it.) Acting childlishly will come soon - probably on the road to Helm's Deep, the movie has quite a number of funny scenes which I plan to use - Gimli falling from his horse, Eowyn's unedible stew, her reaction to Aragorn's age... there will also be some talking between Hermione and Eowyn, regarding Aragorn in particular. Congrats on the 99th review ;)

**NorthernLights25:** My 100th reviewer! Congrats! There you go, and sorry for the wait!

**h2olover**: Thanks! As for the romance between Hermione and Legolas, there's the start of something in this chapter. It's not much, but it's a start. Like I already said in earlier ANs, I'm not used to writing romance, so bear with me as I try to put it in place. I hate stories where they start kissing two minutes after their first meeting. They have been friends for years, and it is sometimes difficult to make the difference between friendship and love when you've known someone for so long. You know you couldn't live without him, but is it because you love him, or because you've known him and liked him for so long that him being gone would just seem wrong?

And now, off to the story!

* * *

**_Previously in_ The Light of Ithilwen:**

_"Hail Theoden King!" Gamling yelled and as one, the people of Edoras kneeled in front of their suzerain, as did the Dunedains._

_But Theoden eyes were searching the crowd for someone, someone he didn't see. He turned to Gamling._

_"Where is Theodred? Where is my son?"_

_Eowyn, who had stayed away from Grima's banishment, came forward and laid a hand on his arm._

_"My lord" she said softly. "Theodred was ambushed by orcs and badly hurt, about a month ago. He asked for you to be brought to his side as soon as you regained your senses"_

_Theoden paled and turned to Ithilwen._

_"We did everything we could" she told him, voice filed with sadness and remorse. "But by the time we heard about his injuries from Eomer, it was already too late. The arrows that hit him were poisoned. All I could do for him was to ensure that he was comfortable and to extend his time by a few days…"_

_"How… how long…" the King's voice broke._

_"Two days at most. He… wanted to see you one last time. He asked me to bring back his father, "not the puppet who took his place, but the father he was and the King he can still be". I swore to make that happen, should it cost me my life. Go to him, Theoden."_

_The older man was already running back inside the citadel._

* * *

The next two days were grim. Theoden and Eowyn were spending every single minute with the dying young man, and Ithilwen could often be found at their sides. Boromir had been moved to another room. The Gondorian was slowly healing, though he was still very weak.

Both Hermione and her brother had done their utmost best to shield the Rohirrim from the pain, allowing him to spend his last days enjoying the presence of his family.

He passed away in the middle of the night, falling in a never-ending sleep surrounded by his father, cousin and fiancée.

The Dunedain had left the room just as the last breath had left the prince, unable to stand the grief of those around her added to her own.

* * *

Legolas was the one who found her, curled up in the corner at the top of one of the watchtowers. Without a word, he sat down next to her, and she immediately buried her face in his side, silent tears streaking down her face.

Theodred had been a friend, a very dear one. And he was the first, but probably not the last, of her friend to fall at Sauron's doing. And there was nothing she could have done that would have prevented this from happening.

She felt Legolas putting an arm around her shoulders, bringing her close, and relished in the contact for a brief moment.

Would she lose him too, in this war she had no control over? Would she lose Gimli? Boromir? Merry, Pippin? Frodo, Sam? Luna or Harry? Valar's forbid, would she lose her brother?

Legolas, sensing her worry, started to rub soft circles on her back, just like he usually did whenever his sisters were upset. The soothing gesture worked, and the tension slowly left the Dunedain's shoulders as she relaxed in his embrace.

_"I miss the vibrant trees of Mirkwood"_ she said suddenly. "_They remind me of better times. Of laughs and joy, rather than tears and grief. How many, Legolas? How many more will have to fall until we finally banish the Grim Eye or die at his might? How many friends will I fail to save? How many fathers will have to bury their children until all this finally end, one way or another? Frodo and Sam are travelling into Mordor alone. Boromir nearly died. Mithrandir died, even if he came back. And now Theoden has to bury Theodred while the Westfolds burn under the strikes of the Northsmen… Do we even have hope left?"_

"_We do, My Lady_" the elf said softly. "_We have Gandalf, the White Sorcerer. We have the alliance of Elf, Man, Dwarf, Dunedains and even wizards of another world. We have the one who embodies hope in his name. And we have the Grey Sorceress, daughter of Gilraen, Lady of Gondor and Anor, Traveller of Worlds and Seeker of Peace. Do not despair, Lady Ithilwen. There is hope still behind the clouds. We cannot give up. Not as long as there is still a minute hope."_

She chuckled between her tears, bringing her hand up to wipe her eyes.

_"Those who call me wise have never heard you speak…"_

_"You were the one who told me this not so long ago, when Gandalf the Grey fell through the mines of Morià, my Lady" he told her gently. "Do not doubt yourself. You have no reason to. The war is not yet over, and the Lords of the Two Towers do not yet know who you are, only that for the first time ever a Sorceress has arisen. They will underestimate you, and that will be their downfall."_

She smiled softly.

_"Yes… they do not know me yet, but soon they will hear of the Grey Sorceress as she will fight them straight on in this war. I will not hide. I will not wallow in despair. I will use the grief I feel today to fuel my magic as I work to ensure that others will be safe."_

She stood up suddenly, switching from elvish to the common tongue, as if wanting the entire world to hear her words.

"I am Ithilwen, daughter of Gilraen, Traveler of Worlds, Sorceress of the Grey! I am Ithilethiel, maiden of the moon, and Aranhilwen, Heiress of the King! I am of the line of Isildur and Numenor, raised by the House of Elrond! I am of the House of the Valliant Gryffindor, who personified courage! I will not bow before the Red Eye of Sauron and the White Hand of Saruman!"

She turned her head to the moon that was coming out from behind the clouds.

"I am Ithilwen!" she growled. "And I will fight!"

She stood there, radiant with strength, the moon behind her enveloping her in an aura of light. With a smile on his face, Legolas stood up.

"And I shall fight by your side, Lady Ithilwen" He vowed.

"Then you better stop calling me a Lady and start using my name, Legolas, because I can assure you that if you don't, I'll be demonstrating just how I fight by using you as a target!" Came the swift reply. "While I may be the princess of Gondor, I am second in line to the throne while you are the next King of Mirkwood. Technically, you outrank me, yet you do not see me calling you Lord Legolas, do you? I am Ithilwen, or Hermione, for my closest friends, and despite you being one of my best friend, you continue to address me by my title. That stops now!"

It was something that had been going on her nerves for quite some time now. Legolas was her best friend, had always been, second only to Aragorn. They had known each other since she was eight and her brother eleven, and had played jokes and pranks on the Mirkwood Elders regularly, along with Elrond's sons and Legolas's sisters. They had fought side by side so many times no one was keeping count anymore, and yet, despite calling her brother by his given name, the prince of Mirkwood insisted on using her title. Well that stopped now, because she was not afraid of making good of her threat.

Legolas's speech had awoken something inside of her. The fighter part of her soul, which had always been a big part of who she was, had been dampened by the grief that accumulated over the years.

She lost Cedric in 1994, who had been a good friend; she lost Sirius in 1995, whom she had thought might become more.

She lost her mother to illness in 3003, when she was 25, but physically 14. Eomund, whom she had loved like an uncle, had died fighting orcs the year before that, as had his wife Theodwyn, from broken heart. Elfhild, Theodred's mother, whom she had been close to, had died in childbirth in 2994. Gandalf had nearly died on her recently; he fell to the Balrog on January 15th, 3019. Boromir, too, poisoned and wounded on January 26th. That very same day, Frodo and Sam had left for Mordor and Merry and Pippin had been captured and feared death. Only Gandalf's recent confirmation had allowed her fears concerning them to settle.

And Theodred son of Theoden had left this world on March 1st.

The grief she had not always allowed herself to express had nearly extinguished the fighter in her when it became too much for her to bear. But no more. This grief, she decided, would become the fuel she would need to burn down her enemies. And on their burning ashes she would spill a tankard full of beer in honor of those who left before their time.

* * *

Theodred was buried the very next day. As the bearers brought him down towards the royal cairn, Ithilwen stood at Eowyn's side, as was her right as family of the deceased.

Years ago, in 2972, when Thengel was still alive and King of Rohan, she had saved Theodwyn's and Theoden's lives from an orc attack. She was fifteen at the time. Theodwyn was nine years old, Theoden twelve. The grateful father had formally named her a friend of Rohan, allowing her free passage and help whenever she should need it. She became a honorary member of Rohan's royal line in 2994, when she saved Theodred, who had just been born, from a dangerous illness. Eomund had made her his honorary daughter and Theoden had named her honorary cousin of the prince that was being buried today, not twenty-five years later.

The stretcher was brought and, in the deafening silence that encompassed the entire population of Meduseld, Eowyn's voice rung out, heavy with sorrow and pain.

"_**Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsended"**_

As the first verse was sung, Ithilwen joined in, as did Elwyn and, one by one, from eldest to youngest, every woman of the city.

"_**giedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende **_

_**on Meduselde þæt he ma no wære **_

_**his dryhtne dyrest and mæga deorost. **_

_**Bealo..."**_

The words of the old funeral song still rang through her mind when nearly everyone had left, leaving only the King and the two Wizards standing by the cairn.

'_An evil death has set forth the noble warrior_

_A song shall sing sorrowing minstrels _

_in Meduseld that he is no more, _

_to his lord dearest and kinsmen most belover._

_'An evil death...'_

Theodred had been an honorable man. He had been a great soldier, a great commander and an even better son. He left behind an entire people mourning. He left behind a grieving fiancée and cousin. And he left behind a devastated father, and that was who Ithilwen was focusing on now.

* * *

The king stood in front of the cairn, a silvery flower in his hand.

"Simbelmyne. Ever has it grown on the tombs of my forebears. Now it shall cover the grave of my son. Alas, that these evil days should be mine! The young perish and the old linger! That I should live to see that last days of my house…."

"Theodred's death was not of your making" Gandalf tried to remind him, but Hermione could see that his words weren't having any effect on the grieving father.

"No parent should have to bury their child" the king said, tears leaking from his eyes.

The young woman went to stand by his side, putting a hand on his arm.

"He was strong in life. His spirit will find the way to the halls of your fathers." The old mage spoke again.

"That he was" Ithilwen nodded. "That he was… He more than deserves his place at Thengel's side in the noble halls of Rohan's kings... Westu hál. Ferðu, Théodred, Ferðu…" she said in Rohirric, before switching to elvish and repeating the same words "_Be-thou well. Go-thou, Theodred, Go-thou"_

She was about to speak again – to say what, she didn't know, nothing seemed to reach the King – when her eyes caught sight of a horse making his way to the city, with two small figures on his back.

"Children?" Just as the words passed her mouth, one of them fell off.

Ithilwen was off running the second the child's body hit the ground. She whistled once, and not a second later a white horse was at her side. Not stopping, she grabbed Shadowfax's mane and hoisted herself on his back, urging him faster and faster as the second figure looked close to falling off too.

* * *

**Author note, the second: **Tada! I know it took me awefully long to write this, and once again I apologize. I also know that the AN's are longer than the chapter itself. I'm sorry. I will try to write something during Easter Break, but as it also marks the start of my "blocus", or cramming time, I don't know if I will be able too. Exams starts at the end of may and ends middle to end of june. I'll see what I can do to post at least one chapter before them, but I can't promise anything this time...

As an apology, I am willing to write a oneshot about this story that I would post the day the exams end. I have some idea, so give me your opinion on which one you want me to write first (I might write the others afterwards):

- some sibling time from before the Fellowship

- the meeting between Hermione and Bilbo (either their first meeting, or the one in Rivendell)

- Ithilwen's first meeting with Faramir

- the story behind the dagger Gimli still owes Ithilwen

I also want your opinion on another thing: I'm planning on using "Ithilwen" more often than "Hermione" from now on, because she's been back in Middle-Earth for so long that she allows herself to become her true self once again, opposed to the "fake" she was in England. She acts more mature, she takes charge more often, she respects honor codes and traditions that Hermione Granger did not. Would it bother you if I did that?

Thanks for reading this, and don't hesitate to review! As you can see with the questions above, your opinion is highly valued!


	17. Of plans and stupid men

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

* * *

**Timeline**:

March 1st, TA 2931: Birth of Aragorn

September 19th, TA 2933: Birth of Hermione

October 27th, TA 2933: Death of Arathorn, Gilraen takes her children to Imaldris

August, TA 2941/ August, 1985: After an attack and the revelation that Ithilwen (age 8) has a magic unknown in this world, a magic that she cannot control and that is harmful both to her and to those around her, Gilraen, Elrond and Gandalf take the decision to send her to another world where she would learn to control this magic. Gilraen goes with her, along with two other Dunedains, Hamon and Ladriel. They go back to Middle-Earth every summer for two months - one month Earth time is the same as eight months Middle-Earth time, and one year earth time is the same as eight year middle-earth time.

September 1990/March 2980: Begin of the first Hogwarts year/Death of Thengel - Theoden becomes King of Rohan

July 1993/Febuary 21st, TA 3003: death of Gilraen

July 7th, 1995/ October 5th, TA 3018: start of this story

Hermiones age: in England: 16, nearly 17 (faking, with the help of de-aging potions)  
in Middle-Earth: 27 and a half  
should have been, had she not left Middle-Earth: 86

Hermione spend every summer in Middle-Earth, except the summer after fourth year since she stayed at Grimmauld Place. That makes eight summers, 16 months earthtimes, a little more than ten years middle-earth

**A more detailled timeline can be found here: http:/ .us/img 196/7514/timelinelightofithilwen. jpg (just clear the spaces)**

On the left is "Hermione's age" as opposed to "Ithilwen's age" on the right. I did this to mark the difference: Hermione is the girl who goes to Hogwarts. Ithilwen is the young woman travelling around Middle-Earth. The "would have been" tells the age she would have been had she never left middle-earth.

The first column in the July category reports the events that happened during the "Earth" school year, events which Hermione did not witness since she wasn't in Middle-Earth at the time. The first column in the September category has the events that happened during her stay in Middle-earth.

The January column is the reference: The first of January is the only date that is the same in both calendars, due to M-E's time being eight time faster. The July column symbolize the start of Hermione's holidays and the date of her return to Middle-Earth. September symbolize the end of the holidays and her return to England.

I hope it clears up a few things!

I took a few liberties compared to the books - with Theodred's date of birth, in particular. In the books, it's 2978, as opposed to 2994 in my timeline. I did this because I adhere to the film's view of Theodred - a young man in his early twenties, not a grown man of forty-one. As such, Elfhild, his mother, also died in 2994 instead of 2978, since she died in childbirth. I also invented Theoden's date of birth - I couldn't find that information. If anybody knows, please tell me and I will update the timeline.

* * *

AN: It's a miracle! Not even two weeks between the last update and this one! Somehow, I got hit by plot bunnies, so here it goes! Exams starts the 22nd of May and end the 6th of June, so there might be one other chapter out before that, but no promises.

I'm posting this again, since I didn't get many answers last time... I will also put a poll on my profile ;)

As an apology for the long wait from last time, I am willing to write a oneshot about this story that I would post the day the exams end. I have some idea, so give me your opinion on which one you want me to write first (I might write the others afterwards):

- some sibling time from before the Fellowship

- the meeting between Hermione and Bilbo (either their first meeting, or the one in Rivendell)

- Ithilwen's first meeting with Faramir

- the story behind the dagger Gimli still owes Ithilwen

I also want your opinion on another thing: I'm planning on using "Ithilwen" more often than "Hermione" from now on, because she's been back in Middle-Earth for so long that she allows herself to become her true self once again, opposed to the "fake" she was in England. She acts more mature, she takes charge more often, she respects honor codes and traditions that Hermione Granger did not. Would it bother you if I did that?

_cocoa85715 : _ don't cry :( I'm happy you liked the last chapter, but I didn't get the quote, sorry...

Blade Draco: Me? Bored by a long review? OF COURSE NOT! I'm always happy when people take the time to review my story, and even more when they take the time to leave a long review! It's good to know that you liked the part with Legolas. I always feel a bit akward when I write something like that, as I said, romance is not really part of my usual writing. The words in the last chapter were actually in Rohirric, but thanks ;) I do my best to include elvish words, and the website arwen undomiel is a big help for that. The story behind the dagger, hu? That should be an interesting oneshot to write, I've recently realized that I haven't written much about Gimli in this story, I'm going to try to change that. Thanks for the good luck for the exams, too! I've got the feeling I'm going to need it...

Desi-Pari Always : About Hermione condonning that... well you'll see. But I'm actually more on Theoden's side than on Gandalf's on the Helm's Deep matter. You'll see why in this chapter. I'm going to try and add some more interactions with the kiddies - they're funny, even though you don't see them that much.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed/favorited/listed in story alarms! And here you go - the next chapter!

* * *

_Previously in: The Light of Ithilwen_

_"He was strong in life. His spirit will find the way to the halls of your fathers." The old mage spoke again._

_"That he was" Ithilwen nodded. "That he was… Westu hál. Ferðu, Théodred, Ferðu…"_

_She was about to speak again – to say what, she didn't know, nothing seemed to reach the King – when her eyes caught sight of a horse making his way to the city, with two small figures on his back._

_"Children?" Just as the words passed her mouth, one of them fell off._

_Ithilwen was off running the second the child's body hit the ground. She whistled once, and not a second later a white horse was at her side. Not stopping, she grabbed his mane and hoisted herself on his back, urging him faster and faster as the second figure looked close to falling off too._

* * *

The children sat at one of the tables, voraciously eating the stew and bread that had been placed in front of them. Eowyn was at their side, gently speaking with them and getting their story out of them.

"They had no warning" the King's niece said, standing up to face her uncle. "They were unarmed! Now the Wildmens are going through the Westfolds, burning as they go, like a cotton tree!"

Ithilwen flinched, images from her latest vision flashing in front of her eyes.

"Where is mama?" the little girl, Freyja, asked, not understanding what the adults were talking about.

Aragorn sat at another table, along with Legolas and Gimli, while Luna and Hermione stood at the King's left. Gandalf, for his part, sat at Theoden's right, as he often did whenever he came to Rohan. Harry, for his part, was with Boromir, making sure that his fever stayed down.

Eowyn shushed the child as the mage spoke to her uncle.

"This is but a taste of the terrors Saruman will unleash" He said grimly. "Ride out and meet him head-on! Draw him away from your remaining children! You must fight!"

Ithilwen bit back a wince when she saw her mentor lay a hand on Theoden's arm. While he had often done that before, whenever he counseled the King, she knew her old friend would only equate it with the way Grima had acted. And she knew how he was going to react.

"You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak" Aragorn noted. "Eomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their King."

Again, his sister winced as Theoden stood up suddenly, striding towards her brother. Why did she have to be paired with men who, despite their wisdom, didn't seem to know when to keep their mouths shut?

"They'll be three-hundred leagues from here by now!" The King countered angrily. "Eomer cannot help us."

Gandalf tried to say something, but Theoden interrupted him.

"I know what it is that you want from me, but I will not bring further death to my people! I will not risk the open war!"

"Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not!" Aragorn stated.

Ithilwen's finger were itching to grab her wand and silence him, but it was already too late.

"When last I looked" Theoden's voice was cold. "Theoden, not Aragorn, was King of Rohan."

Her brother looked ready to retort, but a single glare from his sister kept him quiet.

"Then what is the King's decision?" Gandalf asked.

"We will regroup at Helm's Deep" He said. "That is where the other refugees will go, and messengers will be sent to the other cities for everyone to regroup there."

"Please allow me to take care of that, Theoden King" The Grey Sorceress spoke for the first time. "My messengers are faster, and cannot be hindered by the enemy's men."

The King's gaze softened.

"If it is possible for you to send your silver birds that far, then your help would be most appreciated, Ithilwen. Will your friend be able to travel without aggravating his health?"

"Boromir is getting better day by day, though he is still weak. He will not be able to fight for at least a week, and though he can walk again, I would prefer if he were to be allowed a horse for the journey, preferably riding with Hadrian who would be able to react quickly enough should his injuries suddenly take a turn for the worse."

"Then it shall be done" her friend nodded, before mentioning for Gammling to spread the word of the imminent departure. He then turned back to the Sorceress.

"Will you walk with me to the armory?"

"I shall do so" she acquiesced, throwing a glare at her brother and mentor. "Luna, please go and tell Hadrian to pack up my things. And to make sure to gather as much athelas as you can. We're running out and I fear that Saruman will continue using that foul poison of his. There should be some in the medical house, and some growing in their gardens."

The blonde nodded, and the brunette left with the King.

* * *

They walked in silence for a while, until the man spoke up.

"I apologize, my friend, for the lack of hospitality I showed you since your arrival. I am ashamed that Saruman's poison made it so that you had to sneak through secret passages to come inside the Halls. You are family, and you had to act as if you were the enemy…"

"There is no offence taken, Theoden. Saruman's strength has always been in manipulating people, rarely does he engages in frontal combat. His voice magics and poisons are extremely dangerous. Gandalf himself was deceived by him. I am grateful that my mother forbade him from ever telling Saruman about me, for I do not think I would have been able to withstand his manipulations."

"You would have. Your mother raised you well, daughter of Gilraen. You wouldn't have been deceived by his sweet words."

"I do not know. And hopefully I will never have to find out… However it is now my turn to apologize, for the behavior of my brother and mentor both. Mithrandir sometimes appears to have no sense of tact, but I didn't expect my brother to speak out of turn like that. He has much to learn still, even though he is on the right road."

"While I agree that the Wizard lacks the tact the Valars gave to a drunken man, the blame lays on both sides when it comes to Aragorn. He may have spoken out of turn, but my reaction to his words was also out of proportions. All I can say in my defense is that it has been a trying couple of days."

Ithilwen nodded, satisfied that her friend was honest enough with himself to see that her brother wasn't the only one to blame.

"Eowyn has grown to become a beautiful woman" she said, changing the subject. "The last I saw her she was only a girl of maybe eighteen summers, but she is now a Lady in her own rights."

"She shouldn't have had to care for me in that pitiful state" the King said grimly. "She admires you, did you know? You have been her role model since you visited for her ninth birthday, and it has only grown since your last visit, eight years ago, even though it was short. She does not know you are of the line of Numenor, though, and I did not tell her, for what she does not know she cannot inadvertently reveal."

"Thank you, my friend. I do not like lying to her, but until now it was necessary to keep my existence a secret from all but those closest to me. I will tell her soon, though, since the time for secrecy has gone. I revealed myself as the Grey Sorceress to Saruman in order to free you from his taint, and soon Sauron will know that Isildur's heirs have come forth to challenge him."

They stayed silent for a few minutes, until, once again, the King broke the silence.

"What do you think of my decision to retreat to Helm's Deep? You rode to war with my father, you have traveled extensively: what would you have done?"

"It was not my decision to make, and I thank the Valars for it, because it is a difficult one. Both plans had merit. A preemptive strike, meeting Isengard's forces head-on would have been a good idea, but we lack the information necessary to do so. We do not know who Saruman has fighting for him. Is it only Wildmens? Or does he also have more of these Uruk-haïs we fought at Rauros' falls? Emptying Edoras of its soldiers would have left its people defenseless should Saruman send even a fragment of his forces there while we were busy fighting him. Given the information we dispose of, it is a better idea to regroup at Helm's Deep. It will allow us to join forces with the other cities under your command, while the women, children, and all who are unable to fight will be safe in the caves, being able to escape even if we fail to stop Saruman's forces. I will do my best to help you shield the walls, and Hadrian will be inside, working with healers. Luna will fight, as will Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn. Eomer is too far away for my messengers to reach him, which means that Mithrandir will probably go after him. But we will be at our weakest during the journey, spread out and vulnerable. My advice would be to have as many men as possible on horses, sparing only those necessary to transport those who cannot move on their own, or food. That way, should any of the scouts spot something, the men will be ready to react."

The King nodded.

"Thank you, Ithilwen."

"You are very welcome, Theoden. Rohan and its people are very dear to me. I will not see them destroyed when I can help to prevent it. But you do know that my brother rode with your father too?"

"Yes. But I have already had an altercation with him, and I do not think he would have been as understanding as you. Besides, I have known you for over sixty years, which does seems strange since you do not look a day above twenty-five, and I fought by your side: I trust your judgment, and I also trust you not to hesitate to tell me when I misjudge something or do a mistake."

She smiled.

"The advantages of world-traveling… not to mention that I actually have to take a deaging potion every time I go back there… I'm supposed to be the same age as Hadrian out there, and had I stayed in Middle-earth I would be eighty-five, older than you, though I would probably still look like I do today. Look at my brother: he does not look a day over thirty, and yet he's actually eighty-seven!"

The slight banter might have looked out of place in England, seeing as it took place mere hours after Theodred's funeral, but the Rohirrims had a different philosophy on that subject, one Hermione found herself embracing from time to time.

For the Horsemasters, the spirit, the soul of those who were strong in life would, once either buried or burned along their rituals, join their forbearers in the Great Halls of the Brave where they would forever feast and fight. Those who lived with honor would find their way to the Great Fields, where they would be reunited with their loved ones, while the souls of the wretched would forever burn in the deepest levels of the afterlife.

The Rohirrims honored their dead, and mourned their passing, but once the funeral was over, life would go on as it did before. They simply couldn't allow themselves to fall into ruin because of grief.

Ithilwen had been there for Thengel's funeral. Theoden's coronation had taken place immediately after it, and not two hours later he was already holding court and organizing the defenses of his Kingdom.

The best way to honor the dead was, after all, to live.

With that thought in mind, she created a flock of silver ravens, her patronii shining brightly while Theoden dictated his orders before flying off.

* * *

She took her leave from her old friend while he went to check the inventory of the armory, and looked for her friends. She found them on their way to the stables.

"Helm's Deep!" she heard her mentor grumble angrily. "They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight! Who will defend them if not their King?"

She frowned, and was ready to chastise him when Aragorn protested.

"Theoden is only doing what he thinks is best for his people" he argued, though his voice was subdued. Ithilwen knew that he was still beating himself up for his harsh words in the throne room. "Helm's Deep has saved them in the past."

"There is no way out of that ravine. Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they'll get is a massacre! Theoden has a strong will but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses have to hold!"

"They will hold" it was Ithilwen, not Aragorn, who answered the Wizard. "Theoden is no fool, Mithrandir, and neither am I. While I understand why you would like us to stand and fight, you seem to forget that we know nothing of Saruman's armies, not of any help he might receive from the black tower. Leaving the city and its people defenseless to go and fight him head on would be a mistake: if his numbers are as superior to ours as I fear they are, not only would we be annihilated, but he could very well send another group to raze the city down. Edoras is vulnerable, everyone knows this. It is a city made for peacetime, not to withstand a siege. Helm's Deep allows us to regroup with the other cities, and allows us a better way to protect the civilians. There is a way out of the caves, despite what you think. Theoden is not misled, Mithrandir" Her voice was cold. "On the contrary. His priority is the survival of his people. He knows his men, he knows his strength. The lord of the White Tower already had the upper hand on him once. You might be able to fight Saruman head-on, but Rohan isn't. Not when we do not know a single thing about the army our enemy has at his disposal. No. The refuge of Helm's Deep will see the strength of the Rohirrim. It is, as the saying goes, 'our turf'. We are stronger there than we would be marching to Isengard. My ravens are flying as we speak to gather every able man in the vicinity at the Hornburg. Now if you're done badmouthing Theoden King in his own home without stopping to think about the logical reasons behind his actions, make yourself useful and look for Eomer and his men. We will hold the defenses, but our best men are with him. Our defenses will be held by boys and old men, more used to farm than to kill. Bring them back, as fast as possible. And then you will apologize to Theoden. And while you are away, make sure your brain works, because I think dying and coming back caused you to lose not only your sense of tact and decency, but also your wisdom. The way you acted in the throne room, laying your hand on his arm like that, so soon after Grima's betrayal, was just about the worst thing you could do."

And with these harsh words, she walked away from them to ready her mare, not sparing them a second glance.

The old wizard gaze followed here, bewildered by her anger.

"She is right, Gandalf" Aragorn said, his voice quiet. "We both spoke rashly and harshly to Theoden King, who just lost his son, and who always acted in the way he thought was best for his people. We don't have any information on Saruman's armies. The best course of action is Helms Deep, at least for now. But you need to hurry and bring back Eomer and his men. We will hold until then."

"The Grey Pilgrim, that's what they used to call me" Gandalf sighed, brushing Shadowfaxe's mane out of the way. "Three hundreds lifes of men I've walked onto this earth and now I have no time. Good luck, my search will not be in vain. Look for my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east."

The Dunadan nodded and opened the door of the stall, allowing the King of the Meharas to pass through.

* * *

Done! So? What do you think? Ithilwen is furious with her mentor, and in my opinion, rightly so. As I stated through her, they had no intel on the enemy. Why should Theoden risk his peoples life on a guess?

I tried to add some backstory to her friendship with Theoden, and there will be more info on that in the next chapter. I've already written around 1000 words of the next chapter, but I don't know when it'll be finished.

Please leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter!


	18. Of spying, stalkers and conversations

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, but not for some time, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

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_**the ****timeline** can be found here: http:/ img196 (dot) imageshack (dot) us/ img196/ 7514/ timelinelightofithilwen (dot) jpg_

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AN: I'm doing something really stupid right now. I'm slacking off. I should be cramming for my exams, but here I am, knowingly slacking off just to post a new chapter for you. That, and the class I'm currently studying (introduction to jura) is particulary boring. Meh.

However, nothing else will be posted until the ninth of june. Nothing. I can't afford to. I've got eight exams to study for, three of them are really really hard and the five other are just hard. Really, I can't afford to post this now, but I needed a break...

Anyway, I know I already said it, but the poll is open people! And no one has voted yet! Through the reviews I get the idea that most of you want to hear the story behind the dagger, but still...

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**BladeDraco:** I love it when Ithilwen gets to lecture someone. That's one trait that passed to her "Hermione" character^^ Thanks for the compliment and encouragement!

**Cocoa:** I watched Grease. Ages ago. Like six or seven years ago. And in french. Sorry :( As for Ithilwen siding with Theoden... well... she's smart. And knows Theoden better. And knows the situation of the kingdom better. And doesn't forget that not everyone is an Istar. So basically, Gandalf got lectured like a child ^^

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed! It's always nice to know that people love what you're doing!

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_**Previously, in The Light of Ithilwen :**_

"_She is right, Gandalf" Aragorn said, his voice quiet. "We both spoke rashly and harshly to Theoden King, who just lost his son, and who always acted in the way he thought was best for his people. We don't have any information on Saruman's armies. The best course of action is Helms Deep, at least for now. But you need to hurry and bring back Eomer and his men. We will hold until then."_

"_The Grey Pilgrim, that's what they used to call me" Gandalf sighed, brushing Shadowfax's mane out of the way. "Three hundreds lifes of men I've walked onto this earth and now I have no time. Good luck, my search will not be in vain. Look for my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east."_

_The Dunadan nodded and opened the door of the stall, allowing the King of the Meharas to pass through._

* * *

Hermione was gathering a saddle for her horse, a grey, four-year old mare that Theoden had given her, when she heard a commotion in the stall next to hers. When she saw the two men trying to calm the dark stallion, she sighed softly.

_Brego_. Theodred's horse. She remembered him from her last visit, eight years ago. The prince had just begun training the stallion, who, after watching one of his training sessions, she had deemed "as stubborn and bull-headed as his rider". But the bond between the two of them had been strong. Losing his rider, and the horrors of war, obviously had had a toll on the poor horse.

She was about to act when she heard her brother's voice coming from the horse's other side, speaking in soft elvish whispers.

She watched, relived, as the stallion calmed down enough for her brother to free him from the ropes the Rohirrims had used to try and prevent him from standing on his hind legs.

She watched, a little amused, as Eowyn approached the ranger.

" His name is Brego" she told him.

"Brego?" she heard her brother echo. "_Your name is kingly"_

She nearly snorted. Trust her brother to remember the name of one of Rohan's first King, because of the stories that surrounded him. Her brother spoke again, whispering in the stallion's ear.

"_Man le trasta, Brego? Man cenich?"(What troubles you, Brego? What do you see?)_

She saw the surprise on Eowyn's face, and suddenly realized that her friend did not know that Aragorn was her brother.

"I've heard of the magic of the elves" she said in wonder "But did not look for it in a ranger from the north! You speak as one of their own!"

"I've been raised in Rivendell, for a time" Aragorn answered, and his sister could see the slight longing in his eyes when he thought of the place they grew up. He caught her glance, and she could see the question in his eyes as he imperceptibly indicated Eowyn, but she shook her head, wordlessly telling him that she would speak about it later.

He nodded imperceptibly and told Eowyn to turn the horse free.

"He has seen enough of war", he told her, and Ithilwen had to agree.

Aragorn then left the stables, and she followed him, saddle on her arm, which he gallantly took from her.

"_Thank you"_ she said in soft elvish, ensuring that, aside from Legolas who was speaking with Gammling, no one could understand them.

"_You are welcome, Onoone. Now tell me, what do the people of Rohan know about you?"_

She sighed.

"_Most know me as Gandalf's apprentice. I come here once every eight year, for about two or three months each time. Mother often came with me, for she was close to both Elfhild and Theodwyn. Most are too young to remember that I saved Theoden and Theodwyn in 2971. Those that do think that I age slowly because I am an Istar, and while I did nothing to encourage that theory, I have never seen a reason to tell them otherwise. The younger ones see me as a healer, since I saved Theodred from a deadly illness when he was but a few months old. I also give a hand to the healers here whenever I'm in town, which allowed me to get to know nearly every citizen of Edoras. Which was how I was able to convince Hama to let Mithrandir keep his staff - I threatened to tell his mother about his behavior, and since he's known me since he was a kid and had cut himself trying to use his father's sword… Theodred knew I was of the Dunedain and that my absences were due to me travelling to another world. Eomer and Eowyn both think that either I'm an Istar or that my father was an elf, which would explain the fact that I don't age. Theoden… Theoden knows everything, as did his father and Eomund. Mother told them when they decided to make me a friend of Rohan. He knows I'm a Dunadan. He knows we are Isildur's heirs, and he knows I travel between worlds. He remembers you, too. From that time we both rode with Thengel, forty years ago. He and mother were close friends. I do not think that Eowyn knows that you are my brother. I told her about you, of course, but that was eight years ago, and only in vague terms. Mom always told me to be as secretive as I could about my origins, fearing that word would come to the enemy's ears…"_

"_Mother was always cautious, but for good reasons" _her brother nodded._ "Both our father and our grandfather died because Sauron had heard that our line had survived and ordered his orcs to target our people, and to focus on those wearing rings…"_

"_Yes. But I will at the very least have to come clear as a Dunadan to Eowyn and Eomer. They are, after all, my honorary siblings, and I do not like lying to them."_

He nodded, before putting the saddle on her horse.

"_You have a shadow"_ he noted, smiling slightly.

Confused, his sister turned around to see a little girl trying to hide behind another horse. A little girl she immediately recognized.

"**Freyja?"** she said softly, in Rohirric.

The child squeaked and tried to hide, much to the amusement of the siblings.

With a gentle smile, Hermione let her brother saddle her mare and knelt in front of the little girl.

"**Your name is Freyja, isn't it, little one?"**

The child nodded shyly.

"**A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Do you know that in some of the countries I visited over the year, there is a goddess named Freyja?"**

"**Really?"** It wasn't loud, but at least it was audible.

"**Really. A beautiful and wise goddess. Your name is strong, little one."**

"**Thank you…"**

"**Now"** Ithilwen spoke again, an amused smile on her lips. "**Why were you following me, little one?"**

The girl blushed furiously, but gathered her courage.

"**I wanted to thank you, My Lady."** She said shyly, looking at her feet. **"For catching me before I fell."**

"**You are very welcome, Freyja, though you do not need to thank me. I did it because I didn't want a child to be hurt if I could help it. It goes against everything I believe in."**

"**Are you a healer, M'lady? That's what most of the people here say, but some say that you are an Istar…"**

"**While I am skilled in the arts of healing, I am no real healer"** Hermione smiled. **"I leave that privilege to my friend Hadrian. I am no real Istar either, though I was recently named the Grey Sorceress when Mithrandir, my master, got called to wear the mantle of the White."**

"**But the guard, Hama, said that you didn't age… I though only Istari and Elves didn't age…"** the child said, confused.

The young woman hesitated. Should she tell her the truth? She had planned to tell Eowyn later today, after all, but… She looked at her brother, who nodded slightly. After making sure that no one around them would hear, she turned back to the little girl.

"**I am neither an Istar nor an Elf, though I was raised by both for a time. I am of the Dunedain, the men from the North who age slower than most. But I am also a Sorceress and I have spent most of the last eighty years in a place where time passes slower than here. Tell me Freyja, how old do you think I am?"**

The girl frowned slightly at the question.

"**Twenty-two?"** she hazarded a guess.

"**Nearly. I am twenty-seven years old. And yet I once rode side by side with Thengel King and, had I stayed in Middle-Earth instead of travelling to that other place, I would now be eighty-six… and yet look exactly as I look now. Such is the lifespan of a Dunadan."**

The child looked at her in awe, and she couldn't help but chuckle.

"**It is a secret, though. Can I count on you to keep it that way, Freyja Eothainssister?"**

"**You can, m'lady"** came the fervent answer.

"**Good. And my name is Ithilwen, little one. You are welcome to use it. Now run along to your brother, Freyja. We will leave shortly for the refuge of Helm's Deep."**

"You truly have a gift with children" her brother remarked as the child left in a hurry.

"It comes with spending most of the year surrounded by them, not to mention being named prefect last year – student leader, if you wish. It also helps that I have a good reputation in Rohan, and that most know me as a healer and as such brought their children to see me whenever they could."

"Do not sell yourself short, _Onoone_."

"Consider it training for when I'll have to watch over your children" she smirked at his expression. "You are too easy to tease, _Onoono_."

"And you like that too much for my own good."He sighed.

"_You miss her"_ It was a statement, not a question.

"_I do. I fear for her. I know Elrond wanted her to leave for the Undying Lands, and part of me wanted her to. Because there at least she would have been safe. Yet the other part of me is selfish and is relieved that she made her opinion perfectly clear on the matter…"_

"_You love her, brother. There is nothing to be ashamed of. I know that, and more importantly, Arwen knows that."_

Her brother nodded simply, before leaving to ready his own mount.

* * *

She was looking inside Meduseld for Harry when she heard the clashing of swords. Curious, she went to see what happened, but stopped in the shadows when she saw her brother talking with Eowyn.

"You have some skills with a blade" Aragorn was saying.

Eowyn stared at him before using a trick Ithilwen had taught her and seconds later, her sword was pointing at the rangers neck.

"The women of this country learned long ago that those without swords could still die upon them." She said putting the sword away. "I fear neither death, nor pain."

"What do you fear, my lady?" Her brother asked, but the sorceress had a good idea of what the answer would be.

"A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them, and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire."

Hermione repressed a sigh. Yes, that was what she thought. Eowyn was like herself on that point. Obviously her brother thought along the same lines.

"You're a daughter of Kings. A shield maiden of Rohan. I do not think that will be your fate" he said softly before leaving.

* * *

She caught up with him when Theoden led his people out of the city.

"_You might want to tell Eowyn that you are already engaged, brother. And soon. Because I have seen the way she looks at you, and I do not wish to see either of you hurt."_

"_Sen tîr?" (Is this true?)_

He looked at her, startled.

"_You hadn't realized, didn't you?"_ she deadpanned.

"_What has Estel failed to see this time?" _Legolas asked, walking next to them as he, like them, led his mount by the reins.

"_Same thing as last time. That he attracts girls like honey attracts a bear. In this case, that Eowyn was falling for him."_

"_Ah. Estel, that was pretty obvious. Especially when you take into account the jealous glances she has been stealing your sister each time you two speak in elvish. You haven't told her yet?"_

"_I have yet to find a moment to talk to her in private"_ The Dunadan heiress groaned. _"She does not even know that I'm of the Dunedain, much less that I travel between worlds and that I'm actually a heiress of Isildur… that will not be an enjoyable conversation."_

"_I'm sure it will be alright my…"_ he stopped at her glare. _"… Ithilwen."_

She smiled sweetly.

"_There, it wasn't that hard, was it? Ah, there comes Hadrian and Luna, along with Gimli and Boromir. Let us switch to a language everyone understands."_

Indeed, their friends were approaching. Luna and Gimli were walking, while Harry sat behind Boromir on one of the sturdiest and calmest horse Theoden had been able to find. The Gondorian was pale and weak, but his strength was slowly coming back to him and he managed to sit upright on the horse, which was a good sign. There had been time when both Harry and Hermione had worried that he might need to be transported on a stretcher once again, but there was no need for that, Valars be thanked.

"How far away is Helm's Deep?" Harry asked.

"A couple of days at least, maybe more at the speed at which we are going. I do hope that we won't be ambushed on the way there…" Aragorn explained.

"Should that happen, you and Boromir will be going with the civilians, Hadrian. Boromir is in no state to fight, and you will be needed more as a healer than as a fighter."

He nodded, but his face was curious.

"I have been meaning to ask you for a while now" he started "But the time never seemed right. Why do you keep calling me 'Hadrian'? I mean, you called me Harry for years but…"

She sighed.

"First, because it is your real name. Second, because you need to get used to it since that's what others from noble houses will call you once you take over your duties as Head of House Potter, and probably of House Black too. And lastly, because 'Harry' is not an usual name in Middle-Earth. You need to fit in, and the shortened version of your name doesn't. Luna can pass for someone of elven descent, which would explain her name, but you couldn't. Most people who see you will either see you for a Gondorian, Rohirrim or, if they're aware of our existence, a Dunadan. Hadrian is a name that is used, even if not often, in these three cultures. I am sorry if it bothers you, but I am trying to keep the existence of another world secret because I do not want Sauron and Voldemort to meet each other and to decide to join force. One enemy at a time, I can manage, but two might be a bit much. Does that answer your question?"

He nodded.

"Yes, thank you for explaining."

They chatted for a while, walking beside their horses and allowing tired children or elders to ride on them from time to time.

* * *

The first night of their exodus towards Helm's Deep found Ithilwen looking over the camp from her seat on one of the highest rock around said camp. Her eyes went from the sleeping forms of her British friends to the silent figure of Theoden King, from Gandalf's top-hat to Gimli's axe, never staying more than a few seconds on each person.

She was startled out of her thoughts when someone sat down next to her.

"_Man le trasta, Ithilwen?"_(What troubles you, Ithilwen?)

Aragorn. Trust her brother to somehow know when she needed him. With a sigh, she allowed her head to rest on his shoulder.

"_Goheno nin, Ithilwen"(_I am sorry, Ithilwen) he whispered.

"_Am man?"(For what?)_

"_My attitude and my harsh words earlier today. Theoden King is a wise man, who thinks of the safety of his people before all else. And that is something I have yet to learn. I think like a general, not like a king."_

"_It is not me you need to apologize to, Estel."_

"_It is not only you I need to apologize to" _he corrected. "_I should have known better than to question your judgment."_

"_You should have, yes"_ she nodded.

"_But that is not what troubles you now"_ her brother said, being annoyingly perceptive for once.

"_What is today's date, Onooro?"_ she asked quietly.

"_Gwaeron (March)Nelui (the third)" _Aragorn started, before paling. "_Mother's birthday…"_

"_It has been twelve years now in this world"_ she whispered _"But for me it has barely been six, and the pain is still raw."_

The heir of Isildur sighed as he gathered her in a strong hug.

"_I miss her"_ she said quietly._"And I feel horrible because I know you saw her less than me because she came with me to the other world and…"_

"_Don't be stupid, Ithilwen. You have no reason to blame yourself for that. I made the most of the time we spent together, and that is all that counts."_

"_Remember when traveled to Mirkwood with her for the first time?"_

He coughed.

"_I was kind of trying to forget that incident" _he dead-panned.

"_I still don't understand how you managed to get yourself trapped in a giant spider's nest in the five minutes that Nana (Mom) allowed you to get out of her sight"_ she marveled.

"_A lot of bad luck"_ he answered dryly. "_It was humbling to see Naneth (Mother) fight the spiders head-on, while I could barely keep myself alive…"_

"_As Eowyn put it so rightly, the women of this world have learned early on that those who don't live by the sword could still die upon them. She lost her brother to orcs when she was younger than we are, and thus she asked our Adar (father) to teach her the way of the sword, so that she could protect her loved ones instead of watching them die. Nana was strong"_

"_That she was, Thelig (little sister), that she was…"_

They stayed silent for a while, relishing in the familiar embrace. It was rare indeed when they could find the occasion to spend time with each other without anyone interfering. And it was the second time only since their mother's death that they could be together on her birthday.

Gilraen's death had been harder on Ithilwen than on anyone else. Aragorn had seen less of their mother, ever since they had left for England while he had stayed behind on Middle-Earth. They had wanted him to come, and he had wanted to join them too, but he knew he had a duty to his people, he knew that the last of Isildur's blood couldn't abandon the world of men to the chaos of Orcs. He had stayed behind in Imladris, being raised by the elves, he had spend months at a time with the last of the Dunedains, learning the Old Ways and traditions his people had kept. In a way, that was part of the reason he had been – and still was, though not as much anymore – reluctant at the idea of taking his rightful place on the throne of Gondor and Anor. After all, it had been this heritage that had forced him to grow up without his mother and sister. He had spent months angry at Gandalf and Elrond for preventing him to join them in the other world.

But he had never, in all the years he had lived without them, resented Ithilwen for getting to live with their mother. If there was one person out there that he loved more than Arwen, it was definitely Ithilwen. He would give his life for her, and would do so with a smile on his lips. If anything, he had resented Gandalf for sending her away, at least until it was explained to him that her magic needed to be trained in that other place, otherwise it would hurt her and maybe even kill her. While he hadn't liked the fact the she was growing up away from him, he could accept it if it meant that his _Thelig_ was safe.

His relationship with his mother had been strained, at first, but he had quickly learned to make the most of the time they had together instead of wasting it by brooding in his room. Once he got over that, he always made sure to spend at least a year with them whenever they were in Middle-Earth. They had travelled a lot, the three of them, both him and his mother wanting to make sure that little Ithilwen knew of the wonders of her world. And that was also how they discovered that, when it came to the youngest member of their family, the sentence "_Avo faro a thrastad; telitha angin"_(Don't hunt for trouble, it will come to you) was more than adequate. Between her growing, but uncontrolled, powers, her temper, her insatiable curiosity and her stubbornness – a trait present in every member of their line, or so it seemed – she had given them both more worries then they could count.

Gilraen. Aragorn. Ithilwen.

They had been family. A strange one, that's for sure, but they had been family, once upon a time.

And while his mother's death might have shaken him less than his sister, because he was _older_, and he had already seen _many, too many_ people _die_, it didn't mean that he didn't mourn her. Didn't miss her.

Because he did. Even twelve years later, the wound was still raw, as if part of his heart had been ripped away.

It hadn't even been an enemy that felled her. If it had been, they could have, at the very least, avenged her by making his death a slow and painful one. But no. Gilraen, daughter of Ivorwen, had been swept away by an illness, one that not even Elrond's wisdom had been able to vanquish.

They had both been at her side when she drew her last breath, had both heard her last words.

"_Ónen i-Estel Edain"(I gave hope to the Dunedain)_Aragorn whispered in the night.

_« ú-chebin estel anim »_ (_I kept none for myself) _came his sister's answer.

Gilraen had given the Dunedain hope, in the person of Aragorn, of _Estel_, whose elvish alias literally meant hope.

But she hadn't been allowed to keep him. She had had to leave him behind while she took her daughter away. She had left a boy of nine summers, and had come back to a teenager, nearly a man, of seventeen. She hadn't been able to see him grow. She had lost a part of him that she had never been able to get back. He had continued to grow, raised by others, and one day when she came back, he was older than her. When she died, at fifty-nine instead of the ninety-six years she would have been had she stayed, her first-born was already seventy-one. Not old enough to be her father, but nearly. In the end, they were more like friends, or even siblings, than really mother and son, but they had loved each other despite it all, and it had been enough.

His sister, though, had grown up with a mother. Even when she had left to go to Hogwarts, she had kept a heavy correspondence with Gilraen, telling her about everything that happened. Her death had hit her harder than him, because she had been closer to their mother, but also because she was younger, still shocked from the recent deaths of Eomund and Theodwyn, and not yet used to losing loved ones.

She was still younger than him, would always be, but she had lost her innocence. She had seen too many people die, too many of them had been close friends.

She wasn't innocent anymore, but her strength had risen to the challenge.

She was strong now, strong enough to protect her loved ones, or die trying. And somehow, he had the feeling that even if she _did_, Valars forbid, die trying to save someone, she would take her enemies with her.

_Every single one of them._

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_AN:_

_Voilà! Many things happened in this chapter, many things were revealed. Amongs other, the reason why Ithilwen calls Harry 'Hadrian'. _

_I also wanted to include some sibling time, and touch a bit more on the subject of Gilraen. Her last words can be interpreted in many different ways, not all of them good, and I ended up rewriting the end of this chapter because I wasn't satisfied with the first explanation of these words I had written, but I like the explanation I finally came up with._

_Hope this was to your liking! Don't hesistate to leave a review!_

_See you in june... if the exams don't succeed in killing me..._

_*bows to her readers, before clicking on the *send* button. Than looks at her jura notes and weeps anime style tears*_


	19. Of travels and revelations

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies) and Harry Potter belongs to their respective owners. I only own the plot, and any character you don't recognize - like Hamon and Ladriel.

Category: This is a Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossover, taking place the summer after fifth year(HP) and when Strider leds the Hobbits to Imaldris/Rivendell.

Pairings: Hermione/Legolas, (**and it's starting slowly but surely people!)**, Aragorn/Arwen, mentions of Harry/Luna, Faramir/Eowyn, maybe Boromir/OC

Summary: He sent her there to keep her safe. He should have known she would somehow manage to get involved in a war and come back home - even when home was in bigger troubles than the other place. And, her being who she was, he should have known that she would get involved in this war too. And nothing he would say would get her to change her mind. Her brother would just have to accept that. If he didn't... well, there was always the tempting option of hexing him.

Notes: _Mae govannen (Well met), Aragorn son of Arathorn_ is elvish. Elvish words used will have their translations between () the first time. If anyone ask, I can make a list at the end of the chapters if it is easier.

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The timeline can be found on my profile

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**AN**: Hi everybody! How are you doing? I know I haven't updated for more than a month, but exams got in the way of my writing time. They are over now, and I appear to have passed nearly everything, and to have the need average to be allowed to go into my second year! Yay! it won't be official until Friday though, but I'm already relieved: it means that I'm officially on holidays, which means I have more time to write!

As some of you have already seen, the promised one-shot is out! Check it out, it's title is **The story behind the dagger... or why you shouldn't interrupt a duel of Honor**!

(By the way ProudMudblood42, what were you expecting? I'm happy that you liked it, but what did you mean by " it wasn't what I was expecting" ?Just curious ;) )

I know this chapter is shorter than usual, but I had some trouble writing it. It is actually my fourth draft, and I finally decided to post it as it was. Curiously, it was the scene with Eowyn that was the hardest to write, and not the one at the end... Hope you'll like anyway :D Another chapter should be out before next week, which will bring this story to just before the battle of Helm's Deep!

**Desi-Pari**** Always**: I love putting scenes between Aragorn and Ithilwen. Siblings interactions are always funny to write, and they come easily to me (probably because I'm the oldest of three, so I know how they interact). Now you get to see if you were right about me being able to write romance or if I was right about me not being able to. Even if it's not really romance right now, it's a start!

**Blade Draco:** Thanks for the encouragement! I hope your exams went well too! The brother-sister bonding has to be the part I love writing the most xD I can totally see Aragorn as the protective big brother... who is totally wrapped around his sister's finger xD About Legolas... your wish is about to be answered in this chapter ;) Aragorn's relationship with Gilraen is something I thought about a long time. As I said, her last words (I gave hope to the dunedains, but kept none for myself) could be interpreted in a number of ways. Including a bad one, one where she resented her son in a way, or the fact that she had to put her life on hold to protect him. I had planned on going with that for a time - Gilraen's illness would have caused that buried ressentment to ressurface, directed at both her children (Ithilwen for 'forcing' her to leave Middle-Earth, Aragorn for being a symbol of hope for others rather than her son). In the end, I decided not to use that and deleted five pages of chapter eighteen U.U . I like the way it turned out the second time better xD I don't know if what I've said was very clear, but hey I tried!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter eighteen! And now, without further addo, chapter nineteen!

* * *

_**Previously in the Light of Ithilwen:**  
_

_His sister, though, had grown up with a mother. Even when she had left to go to Hogwarts, she had kept a heavy correspondence with Gilraen, telling her about everything that happened. Her death had hit her harder than him, because she had been closer to their mother, but also because she was younger, still shocked from the recent deaths of Eomund and Theodwyn, and not yet used to losing loved ones._

_She was still younger than him, would always be, but she had lost her innocence. She had seen too many people die, too many of them had been close friends._

_She wasn't innocent anymore, but her strength had risen to the challenge._

_She was strong now, strong enough to protect her loved ones, or die trying. And somehow, he had the feeling that even if she did, Valars forbid, die trying to save someone, she would take her enemies with her._

_Every single one of them._

* * *

Morning came too soon, and already the people of Rohan were back on the road. Thankfully, the sun was shining, allowing them to progress faster than they would have had it been raining. Ithilwen was riding between her brother and Theoden, watching with a smile as Gimli talked animatedly with Eowyn.

"It's true you don't see many dwarf women, and in fact they are so alike in voice and appearance that they are often mistaken for dwarf men" The dwarf was telling her.

Eowyn chanced a look behind her, and Ithilwen grinned.

"It's the beard" she mouthed, pointing at her chin, causing a giggle to escape her friend's lips.

"And this" Gimli went on, unaware of his audience, "has leaden to the belief that there are no dwarf women! And that dwarf just spring out of holes from the ground!"

He was laughing so hard his horse took fear and ran, escaping the grip Eowyn had on it's rein, causing Gimli to fall in a magnificent tumble.

"It's alright, it's alright!" the dwarf exclaimed as Eowyn ran to his side. "It was deliberate, deliberate I tell you!"

Around him, everybody was laughing, the tension from the previous days washing away a bit.

"I haven't seen my niece smile for a long time." Theoden said sadly. "She was a girl when they brought her father back dead, cut down by orcs. She watched her mother succumb to grief and she was left alone to tend her king in growing fear, doomed to wait upon an old man who should have loved her like a father!"

"Stop blaming yourself, my friend." Hermione told him, putting a hand on his arm. "You are not to blame for what happened to you. If you wish to blame someone, blame Sauron, or Saruman, or Grima, or all of them, but do not weaken yourself with guilt, because then you would be playing the enemy's game!"

He gave a nod, but said nothing else, lost in his thoughts, and Ithilwen sighed as she urged her horse further, joining Legolas at the start of the column and starting a fast-paced conversation in elvish with him.

* * *

Later that day, the King ordered a halt, knowing that most of his people were already exhausted and needed to eat something. The Dunadan sat together, speaking in quiet voices about the last time they had ridden to Helm's Deep, decades ago, when they had gone to war with Thengel. Suddenly, Hermione stopped talking and made a face.

"What?"

"Eowyn's coming in our direction, with a pot of stew. And if it's something she made herself, I honestly don't want to eat any of it. She can't cook to save her life. And given her expression when she saw us talking, she still doesn't remember that I'm your sister and is jealous…"

"You know you're going to have to tell her soon."

"And you know you will have to tell her about Arwen very soon?"

"Point taken. Let's take things as they come for now."

His sister nodded, and sure enough Eowyn joined them.

"I made some stew." She told them, offering them a bowl. "It isn't much, but it's hot."

"Thank you" the siblings said, each taking a bowl – Ithilwen doing her best not to throw it away there and now.

Never having experienced the cooking of the Shield maiden of Rohan, Aragorn took a spoon of stew. Despite having trouble swallowing it, he managed to utter "It's good" while trying to ignore the giggles of his sister.

"Really?" A happy smile lightened Eowyn's face as she turned away, probably to offer her stew to some other unfortunate soul.

As soon as her back was turned, Ithilwen emptied her bowl behind her. Her brother tried to do the same, but was too slow and ended up burning himself when Eowyn turned around.

"My uncle told me a strange thing, Lord Aragorn. He said that you rode to war with Thengel, my grandfather, but he must be mistaken…"

"King Theoden has a good memory. He was only a small child when we rode with Thengel." Aragorn said, throwing a glance at his sister.

"Then you must be at least sixty!" Eowyn exclaimed. "Seventy? You cannot be eighty!"

"He's eighty-seven, Eowyn" Ithilwen told her. "Just like I would be eighty-six if I hadn't travelled to that other world… and yet I would not look older than I am now."

The blond nearly took a step back in shock.

"You are one of the Dunedain! Descendant of the Numenor, blessed with long life! It was said that your race had passed into legend!"

The siblings winced at her lack of tact. They knew they were very few of them left, but still…

"There are few of us left." Aragorn said grimly. "The northern kingdom was destroyed long ago. My sister and I are some of the few who survived, despite orcs and wargs trying to make sure our race would end."

"I'm sorry… I… sister?"

Ithilwen sighed as she stood up.

"Walk with me, Eowyn." She told her friend.

She waited until they were out of earshot before she started speaking.

"Yes, Aragorn is my brother. I thought you knew already, for I told you about him during my last visit. Yes, he and I are of the line of Numenor. My brother shall one day be King of Gondor and Anor, for he and I descend directly from Isildur. I am sorry for not telling you before, but our line was targeted by Sauron and what you did not know you could not accidentally reveal. We had to be careful about what we revealed to others. I let people think what they wanted about my seemingly unending youth, never confirming or denying anything, to prevent my lineage from being discovered."

"And is the need for secrecy gone now?" Eowyn's voice betrayed her confused state.

"Yes, kind of. I revealed myself as the Grey Sorceress to Saruman in order to free Theoden King from his curse. Soon, word will reach the Red Eye about me, if it hasn't already, and he will hear about Isildur's heirs. I apologize once again for keeping this a secret from you, for you are my sister in all but blood and such secrets should never have existed between us."

"I understand…" The Shield Maiden nodded quietly. "It is quite a shock, but I understand why you would keep it a secret… Does my uncle know?"

"Yes. He and my mother were friends for a long time, and she told him everything. I saved your mother and uncle from orcs when they were children, and I saved your cousin from illness when he was but a few days old, which is why I was named honorary member of your family."

The Rohirim stayed silent for a while.

"Any other secrets I should know about?"

"Er… I do not think so… no secrets of mine, at least… I cannot account for my brother or friends, but I have told you everything I could reveal about myself." Ithilwen told her carefully.

She might want her brother to tell Eowyn he was engaged to Arwen, but she wasn't about to tell her in his stead. That wasn't her place.

* * *

Ithilwen left her friend to join Harry and Boromir before the column started to walk again.

"How are you doing, Boromir?" She asked gently as she redressed his wounds. "I'm sorry; I know I haven't been around much these days…"

The captain-general gave her a small grin.

"Do not worry about me, Lady Ithilwen. I'm doing as well as I can, given the circumstances. The most annoying thing is that I won't be able to fight against Saruman's army…"

The wistfulness in his voice struck a chord in her heart, for she knew it all too well. She had spent her time at Grimmauld Place hearing it from Sirius. That might be why she snapped at him.

"You will do what you are told, Boromir son of Denethor!" she told him sternly. "You will stay put in the Infirmary! You will not try to be a hero, do you hear me?"

Surprised by her vehemence, the soldier backed away a bit.

"Sorry" Ithilwen sighed, tightening the bandages around his wounds. "It's just… I lost a friend recently. He was very dear to me. He wasn't supposed to be there. He was supposed to stay put, at his house, but he went out anyway, because he couldn't stand being locked in like he had been for months. He went. He fought bravely, he saved our lives, but he died anyway. And I don't want to lose anyone else. Please…"

She felt Harry's hand on her shoulder, and she lifted her own hand to squeeze his.

"I promise to be careful, Lady Ithilwen" Boromir told him gently.

"Then you better stop calling me Lady or you'll be on the receiving end of my sword!" she grumbled, tightening the bandage one last time before standing up. "Be careful, but if you take it easy you might start riding on your own in two days. Until then, Hadrian will keep an eye on you. I do not want to tell Faramir that I'm responsible for the death of his brother, so you better follow my orders to the letter, Boromir!"

"Yes ma'am"

She smiled slightly.

"You better, soldier." She laughed walking away.

Harry followed her.

"I didn't know you were that close to Sirius" he commented quietly.

She snorted.

"Are you kidding me? He and Remus saw straight through my disguise, that night in the shack. The de-aging potion does not mask my scent. I smelled older than I was. Sirius, who had been running around as a dog for months, and Remus, for whom it was the full moon, had a heightened sense of smell at the time. They didn't know the whole truth, but they kept my secret. They never confronted me, but they let me know they were there for me to talk to if I ever needed to. They treated me like the adult I was, not like the child I looked like. I was grateful for that. But yeah, Siri and I were close. Not in a romantic way" she was quick to add when she saw her friend's face. "But he reminded me of my brother in a way, so it was something familiar and comforting. I miss him."

"I miss him too" Harry sighed, putting an arm around her shoulder.

They walked together in silence until the call came for the group to start walking again.

* * *

That night, when nearly everyone was sleeping, Ithilwen sat down next to Legolas on a huge rock looming over the camp.

"_Is everything alright?"_ the elf asked worried, when she didn't say anything for a long while.

"_I think…"_ she sighed. "_I'm worried about these people. We're too slow. If we get ambushed, it is going to be a slaughter."_

"_And yet there is nothing we can do. We cannot go any faster; they wouldn't be able to keep up. But I will go with the scouts to keep an eye out, just in case."_

"_Thank you Legolas"_ Ithilwen said, grateful, as she leant against him, putting her head on his shoulder.

A bit surprised at first, the elf relaxed after a few moments and put an arm around his friend.

"_Estel is worried too. He's thinking about Arwen, a lot. Eowyn's behavior doesn't help, yet he can't seem to tell her the truth. "_

"_She gave him the pendant of Luthièn"_ Legolas noted. "_Does he really think she is going to leave for the Undying Lands?"_

"_He told her to. Both Estel and Elrond would like for her to leave and be safe. Heck, if they thought they would get away with it they would have tried to convince me to leave too! Men…"_ she huffed.

"_They worry. It's normal. They care for you, after all."_

"_I know"_ she sighed. Again. She was doing way to much of sighing these days. _"They are not the only ones. But I am old enough to take care of myself, and I will not leave this fight!"_

"_I know. And I shall have your back through it all."_ Her friend swore.

She smiled as she curled up against him a bit more.

"_You should go back to sleep"_ He told her after a while. _"We leave early in the morrow."_

When he got no answer, he turned his head to see that the young woman had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

He gave a slight smile as he carefully stood up, gathering her in his arms to carry her back to her bedroll. It was good to travel with her again, despite the circumstances. It had been decades since they had been able to that. He had missed it. A lot.

Who was he trying to kid? He had missed _her. _More than a lot. The crazy Dunedain who had shown up in Mirkwood one day and rigged a water bucket to fall over the elders. The little girl he had seen growing into a beautiful young woman. The young woman who had fought side by side with him more times than he cared to count, the woman who had travelled with him and Aragorn all over Middle-Earth, the Sorceress who had been their anchor after the Mines of Morià, the fighter who had allowed him to see her at her weakest and whose confidence he had helped to find back. His best friend beside Estel.

And, accessorily, the girl he was slowly but surely falling for.

As he laid her down on her bedroll, he couldn't help but brush some of her unruly hair from her face. He watched her for some long minutes before sighing and standing up, heading for his own bedroll.

* * *

From the shadows, Aragorn watched as the elf left, taking a puff of his pipe. His sleep had been haunted by dreams of Arwen, and he had preferred to stay awake rather than to submit his heart to further torment. He had observed the entire scene, a small smile tugging his lips the whole time. Despite what his sister might say, he was more observant than most. He had seen the stolen glances, the hidden smiles, the longing in their eyes, but also their apprehensions and doubts. Both longed for the other, but were scared of rejection. Or at least Legolas was. Aragorn wasn't convinced that his sister had even admitted to herself that she might have feelings for the elf, feelings that went further than friendship. She just had too much on her mind right now to focus on herself. But one day she would face her feelings. And one day one of them would make the first step towards the other. And he hoped he could be there to see it. Because if there was one person he would trust with his sister's heart, if would be Legolas.

Which did not mean that he wouldn't hurt his friend if he ever hurt her.

Legolas might be his best friend, but Ithilwen would always be his little sister.

As he smoked in the darkness of the night, he idly wondered what his mother would say if she saw them now. She had already been skeptical about his relationship with Arwen, what would she say if she knew her daughter might be falling for the elven prince? She probably would have warned Ithilwen about loving someone who was basically immortal, about the difficulties she would have to face… basically, she would have given her daughter the same speech she had given him, and, just as it hadn't worked on him, it wouldn't have worked on her.

Sometimes, he wondered if his mother would ever have allowed herself to love again, had her illness not claimed her so soon. Somehow, he didn't think so. He might not remember his father very well, but he remembered the love that tied them all too well. And the despair that had taken hold of Gilraen when Arathorn had died.

The Dunadans were very similar to the elves in that regard. They only ever loved one person in their life. Sure, there could be adventures before or after, but once they got together with the one person they loved with all their being, they never loved again.

Gilraen had never been the same after her husband died. Likewise, Elrond was still hurting from his wife's decision to leave for the Undying Lands without him.

He just hoped the fate the Valar's had planned for them would be easier than the one that had befallen their parents.

* * *

**AN: Done ! So? What do you think? I tried to start something on the romance front with Legolas, but I'm not sure of the result... Verdict?**


	20. Of scouts, attacks and fears

__**AN:** Sorry for the wait, people. I know I said the next chapter would be out in a week, and it's been nearly two months. It was not meant to annoy you, but Real Life has been rough in the last weeks, between my grandfather's health worsening, trying to find a student's flat for the year to come, trying to decide what minor to take since the one I had originally planed on taking has turned out not to be what I thought it would be (people at orientation meetings last year who didn't tell me the same thing as the people I sent an email a month ago) and finally taking a family holiday of two weeks in a place with no internet. Yay me. So here's chapter twenty, and I have no idea when the next chapter will be out. I still have to find a bloody flat and to chose a bloody minor and that, sadly, takes priority over my writing time.

**Here are the replies to some of your reviews:** since it has been pointed out to me that my AN's are too long, and that the PM system exists for a reason, I will, from now on, only respond to questions I think might interest others, but I want you to know that I appreciates each and every review I get - I just don't have the time to answer to everyone through the PM system. Also, from next chapter on, these replies will be found at the end of the chapters, to allow those who don't want to read them to skip them more easily.

**Silver doe 3**: Thanks^^ As for Harry and Hermione... Well it's complicated. Truth is, Hermione is busy trying to find a way for everyone she loves to survives this war. Then comes a combination of facts: she feels guilty for bringing her friends to Middle-Earth, for dragging them into another war while they still haven't won their first one, for dragging them into a war that doesn't concern them, that isn't fought in their world ; that, and she isn't used to combining the two aspects of her - Hermione, the sixteen year old Hogwarts student, and Ithilwen, the twenty-seven year old Dunedain warrior princess - which means that she, as crude as it might seem, sometime forgets that Harry and Luna are there, because she's not yet used to having them in this world, so she's reverting to her old 'Ithilwen habits', which means spending a lot of time with Legolas, teasing Gimli, talking with her brother... It's not easy for her to adjust to that, and I will try to show it in the coming chapters.

**For the guest who made a correct comment about my author notes: **glad that you like the story and thanks for pointing the problem out. I used to put it back every time because of something I had noticed before: when getting an update notification about a fanfiction, I couldn't always remember what the story was about and sometimes had to go back to the author's page to read the summary again. That was BEFORE changed the design to include the summary at the top of the page (and that is still missing on the mobile version, by the way) and as such I thought it would be a good idea to copy/paste it at the beginning of every chapter to help the reader remember. I will stop doing it now that the site changed it's design.  
As for your second comment about the reviews... I usually reply to reviews in the AN's if the answers to the questions raised might interest other readers. I will however start putting them at the end of my chapters so that they might be easily skipped by those not interested. I know the PM function and do use it sometimes - however, if you want me to answer your review in a PM, either leave your email or sign in.

**Guest who raised the problem of Harry's name:** Harry's name is 'Harry' in JK's books. However, a lot of fanfic author's have speculated that it might be a shortened version of 'Hadrian' or similar names. Most of them use it when using the 'Noble House of Potter' plot line. 'Hadrian' is not a name uniquely Middle-earthian, it just fits in better than 'Harry'. In my eyes, Middle-Earth's civilisation is similar to the Middle-ages and as such I saw it fit to use an older version of 'Harry'. Hope that explains it better than in the story (I might go back and edit that part to make it clearer, hindsight is fifty percent proof reading and fifty percent readers comment ;) ) Thanks for the compliments, and I look forward to reading your stories, PM me or leave me a review with your author name if you decide to post them here ;)

**Blade Draco**: Yup, I'm using the movies rather than the books (who are still 600 km away from me since I lent them to one of my best friends who leaves in another country T.T), it's easier for me to check if what I'm writing corresponds to the story. Besides, it is a sad fact that there are more people who have seen the movies than people who have read the books, so it's make it easier for people to follow I think... Thanks for the 'cute' comment, I love that concept even if it's really sad if the other dies :( And I crie everytime I read Order of the Phoenix and come to the part of Sirius's death... And I can totally see Aragorn in the overprotective older brother mode. Might just do a scene with that. Or a one shot.

Once again, thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourited/added this story to his/her alert list, it's great to have some feedback about my writing!

On with the story!

* * *

**_Previously in The light of Ithilwen_**

_Sometimes, he wondered if his mother would ever have allowed herself to love again, had her illness not claimed her so soon. Somehow, he didn't think so. He might not remember his father very well, but he remembered the love that tied them all too well. And the despair that had taken hold of Gilraen when Arathorn had died._

_The Dunadans were very similar to the elves in that regard. They only ever loved one person in their life. Sure, there could be adventures before or after, but once they got together with the one person they loved with all their being, they never loved again._

_Gilraen had never been the same after her husband died. Likewise, Elrond was still hurting from his wife's decision to leave for the Undying Lands without him._

_He just hoped the fate the Valar's had planned for them would be easier than the one that had befallen their parents._

* * *

But alas, that was not be. No sooner had the caravan started again that Eowyn, who was walking next to him, started asking questions about his pendant.

"Who is she?" she asked. "The woman who gave you this jewel."

He sighed as his thoughts went to his lover. _Arwen… Where are you now? Have you followed Elrond's order and left for the Undying Lands, were you'll be safe? I hope you did, for I could not bear to lose you to death at the enemy's hand…_

"My lord?"

"She is sailing to the Undying Lands, with all that is left of her kin" he said softly, and Eowyn looked away, chastised.

Ithilwen frowned from her place at her brother's right side and hissed in elvish:

"_If you truly believe that, brother of mine, then you truly are an idiot!"_

"_I do not wish to talk about this now"_ Aragorn snapped.

He immediately stopped himself when he realized how he had spoken to his sister.

"_I am sorry, __Thelig (little sister)_. But please, for my sake, let us talk about something else."

"_And I apologize for pushing you, Brother. But I worry about you and wish only for your happiness…"_

He smiled and gave her a brief one-armed hug before looking up to see Gammling and Hama leaving the group to act as their scouts. Legolas, he knew, was already ahead of the group, just as he had promised his sister.

He tensed when he heard the cries and saw Legolas suddenly charge forward. Worried, he ran after him.

"A scout!" the elf yelled at him, making him turn around suddenly and run back to the group.

"What is it?! What did you see?!" The King asked, riding in his direction.

"Wargs! We're under attack!"

He ran to his horse and looked around to see Gimli being helped on his. Ithilwen was already mounted, face grim.

"You must lead the people to Helm's Deep!" Theoden instructed his niece. "Make haste!"

"I can fight!" the young woman protested.

"No! You must do this, for me!" the King ordered.

Meanwhile, Ithilwen was giving her own orders.

"Hadrian, Boromir, you're going with them! Luna, you too! No matter what happens, you don't stop until you reach Helm's Deep, do you hear me? No matter what! Luna, do what you have to do to protect them, but don't let yourself be killed!"

Harry looked ready to protest, but one look at his friend's face changed his mind and he nodded. She was already gone, riding towards Legolas who stood on the top of the hill, watching as the enemy approached.

"Ithilwen!"

Her brother.

"I'm staying" She told him plainly as he rode next to her.

"I know. Be careful."

"You too."

And with that they charged.

* * *

Of the battle that followed, Ithilwen would only remember flashes. She remembers seeing Gimli trapped under a dead warg, nearly getting himself eaten by another. She remembers Legolas, fighting with both his daggers and his arrows. She remembers Hama's dead eyes, the first of many Rohirrim to fall to the assault. She remembers fighting, slashing an orc's throat with her sword, her horse's hooves impacting with another's head. And she remembers Legolas shouts for her brother once the battle had ended.

"Aragorn!"

She was at the elf's side in a second, face ashen.

"Where is he?!"

"I don't know!" the distressed elf responded. "He was fighting over here the last time I saw him and…"

They were nearing the edge of the cliff when they heard a dying orc laugh.

"Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing!" Gimli growled, his sword on the dying orc's neck.

"He's dead!" The orc coughed, still laughing. "He took a little tumble down the cliff!"

She didn't see Legolas grab the orc and call him a liar. She didn't see Theoden walk over to the cliff. Her eyes were glued on the pendant in the orc's hand.

"No… no… not him" she whispered, suddenly breaking into a run, stopping at the very edge of the cliff only because the King had caught her before she could fall.

"Aragorn!" she half-yelled, half-sobbed. "_Estel!"_

She felt the King's embrace loosening, only for her to fall in Legolas's arms.

"Get the wounded on horses" she vaguely heard Theoden order. "The wolves of Isengard will return. Leave the dead."

Leave? Leave? She couldn't leave, not without Aragorn, not without her brother. She couldn't! She looked up, tear-filled eyes meeting Legolas' pained ones.

"_He's not dead"_ she whimpered. _"He can't be!"_

"_There might still be hope, Ithilwen"_ the elf said hesitantly, soothingly. "_There is a river flowing down there… if he fell in the water, we might see him again…Do not despair, my friend, there is still hope… Let us trust in your brother's resilience, for there is nothing we can do for him right now… But he is strong, he won't die, not from this."_

She nodded weakly, wiping her tears away and stepping out of his embrace.

"Let's go" she said after taking a deep breath. "They need us at Helm's Deep."

* * *

Their arrival at Helm's Deep was somber, and grief-filled. As Eowyn put it when she first saw them: "So few! So few of you have returned!"

"Our people are safe. We have paid for it with many lives."

Eowyn turned to Hermione, noticing the tear tracks on her face.

"Lord Aragorn… where is he?"

But Ithilwen ran past her without stopping, taking the stairs that would lead her to the walk-path on the walls, Legolas following after her without giving Eowyn the barest of the glances.

"He fell" Gimli told her grimly, watching as her face fell.

She looked at her uncle for confirmation, only for him to look down. The shield maiden of Rohan paled, her legs giving up under her.

* * *

Hours went by, yet the Dunedain Princess had not moved from her position over Helm's Deep door, holding a silent vigil, her eyes never leaving the plains in front of the fort.

She was waiting.

She had talked with the others, of course. Harry had run up to her when he had heard what happened, and stayed with her for around an hour, just talking to her, trying to keep her mind on other matters. They talked about many things, their past adventures, his time in Lorièn, his relationship with Luna… He did most of the talking, of course, but she did answer sometimes. And she did notice that she had missed this. The talks she and Harry used to have regularly when they were at Hogwarts had sadly diminished since they had arrived in Middle-Earth, but she resolved that, if they survived this battle, she would spend more time with her Earth-born friends.

No, not if they survived this battle. After the battle. They would survive.

Luna had been by, too. She had come to see if she needed help warding the walls, and ended up staying half an hour to watch as the Grey sorceress wowe enchantments deep into the stones. Gimli had come by briefly, to make sure that she ate something.

Legolas had never left her side.

She wavered suddenly, her vision going black.

* * *

"**_May the grace of the Valar's protect you"_**

_**Aragorn. Arwen.**_

* * *

_**Arwen facing Elrond.**_

"_**I have made my choice."**_

_**Elrond, trying to convince her to go, that there is no hope left in Middle Earth.**_

"_**There is still hope"**_

_**Elrond reminding her of the bitterness of mortality, that even if Aragorn survived this war, he would still die before her, that she would be left alone to grieve until the long years of her life had gone past.**_

_**A single tear rolling down her cheek.**_

"_**A im ú-'erin veleth lîn? (****Do I not also have your love)?"**_

"_**Gerich meleth nîn, ada**_. (_**You have my love, father)"**_

_**Elrond, who had already lost so much, Elrond who worries for Ithilwen and Aragorn, Elrond who is only trying to protect his daughter but who is breaking her heart at the same time…**_

_**Elrond Elven-Ada…**_

* * *

**_"I amar prestar aen, han mathon ne nen, han mathon ne chae a han noston ned 'wilith. (The world is changed, I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, and I smell it in the air)"_**

_**Galadriel. Talking to Elrond despite the miles separating them.**_

"_**The power of the enemy is growing. Sauron will use his puppet Saruman to destroy the people of Rohan. Isengard has been unleashed. The Eye of Sauron now turns to Gondor, the last free kingdom of men. His war on this country will come swiftly. He senses the Ring is close. The strength of the Ringbearer is failing. In his heart, Frodo begins to understand. The quest will claim his life. You know this. You have foreseen it. It is the risk we all took. In the gathering dark, the will of the Ring grows strong. It works hard now to find its way back into the hands of men. Men, who are so easily seduced by its power. The young captain of Gondor has but to extend his hand, take the Ring for his own and the world will fall. It is close now, so close to achieving its goal. For Sauron will have dominion over all life on this Earth, even unto the ending of the world. The time of the elves is over. Do we leave Middle-Earth to its fate? Do we let them stand alone? »**_

_**Galadriel, beautiful and cold Galadriel…**_

_**Galadriel who was reminding Elrond that Man didn't have to stand alone.**_

* * *

_**Frodo, alive. For now.**_

_**A glimpse of something… Faramir, Faramir standing in front of two little hobbits, the skulking form of Gollum hiding behind them.**_

_**The broken Horn of Gondor, washing up on the shores of Osgiliath. **_

* * *

"Ithilwen? Are you alright?"

She blinked, the vision fading.

"I will be" she said, taking the hand the elf offered and standing up. "Frodo is alive. For now at least."

She kept quiet about what she had seen about Arwen. That was her secret to keep, for the future could still change and she would not be the one to tell her friends about the choice the elf had apparently made.

"That is great news!" The elf exclaimed, grabbing on whatever good omen he could to keep from worrying about Aragorn. "Do you know where he is?"

"He and Sam are in Ithilien, or somewhere close to it at least… Faramir, Boromir's brother, was with them… as was Gollum"

"Gollum?! What is that wretched creature doing with them?!"

"That I do not know, my friend, that I do not know…"

She kept quiet, once again, about her other visions, about Faramir being burned alive. She couldn't bear to worry more than she already was, for then she wouldn't be able to focus on the battle ahead.

* * *

She turned back to the plains, and suddenly a smile, a real smile broke onto her face as she leaped over the railing, landing swiftly on her feet and running towards the faint figure Legolas's elven eyes could barely make out in the distance.

She ran faster than she had ever run before, feet barely touching the ground as she flew towards the horse and it's rider. As soon as she came up to them, she jumped, grabbing her brother's hand and landing behind him on Brego's back. She hugged him tightly, before hitting his back with her fists.

"_Tevenyel! (I hate you) You idiot! Bastard! Scumbag!" _she yelled, before breaking down.

"_Never, ever do that to me again! I thought I had lost you!" _she cried softly.

" _Goheno nin, Thelig (forgive me, little sister)… You have Brego her to thank for my survival. The brave horse somehow knew where to find me, even though he had been let go…"_

She gave the horse a pet.

"_You have my thanks, Brego of Rohan, for you saved my idiot of a brother who can't keep himself out of trouble!"_

She waited for him to protest, but he just looked grim, still guiding the horse towards Helm's Deep.

"I need to see the King. A great host marches towards us. Tens of thousands. Isengard is emptied."

She paled and nodded, keeping quite while he spurred the horse to hurry.

* * *

They hurried on the different levels of the fortress, people jumping out of Brego's way as they made their way up to the Halls.

"Where is he? Where is he?" They heard Gimli yell as they dismounted. "Get out of the way, I'm gonna kill him!"

Ithilwen chuckled when the dwarf came into sight, clearly emotional despite doing his best to hide it.

The dwarf ranted for a few minutes, calling the Dunedain male by every name he could think of before casting the facade away and giving him a bone-crushing hug.

"Bless you laddie, bless you!"

"Gimli, where is the King?"

The dwarf pointed them in the right direction, and the siblings hurried away from the crowd that had assembled upon hearing of Aragorn's return.

They had nearly reached the doors of the Hall when Aragorn quite literally ran into Legolas.

"_Le ab-dollen._ (_You are late)"_ the elf stated, looking him in the eyes, an imperceptible movement in Ithilwen's direction. The young woman didn't notice it, but her brother did and he heard the reproach in his friend's voice.

Then the elf smiled as he looked him over.

"You look terrible" he said in the common tongue.

Aragorn startled, taken aback by the aloof remark, before chuckling and giving the elf a one armed hug.

"You might want this back" Legolas said quietly, handing him the Evenstar.

_"Hannon le_" (Thank you)

Aragorn quieted at that, reaching for the pendant with a grateful smile, while his sister saw, from the corner of her eye, the aborted movement of Eowyn, who looked like she had been ready to run up to them until she saw the pendant. Her face fell as she stopped and contended herself with watching them from afar, and Hermione promised herself to have Aragorn talk to her as soon as this mess was over. But for now they needed to talk to Theoden.

* * *

**AN: Done, and it's not even really a cliffhanger. I've gotten soft.**

**Next chapter will feature the battle of Helm's Deep, or part of it at the very least, but I don't know when it'll be up... But I promise to try and have it up before September ends!**

**Liked it? Hated it? Leave a comment and let me know!**


	21. Of fears, anger and pep-talks

**I know. It's been two months. Sorry. Real Life has been a real b*tch lately and won't stop. My grand-father's health is getting worse. I've been trying to spend a lot of time with him, in between my studies, and helping my grandmother. We nearly lost him three days ago. It was an awefull afternoon/night, and I was alone with my grand-mother for two hours until my godmother arrived. And I was the one who had to call my dad, who was three hours away, that he had to come because his father might not have long to live. My grandfather is a bit better right now, but could die at anymoment. Between the cancer and the renal failure, it's kind of a race as to who will get him first. On the plus side, the whole family was with him saturday evening, and everybody got to say his/her goodbye. So yeah. It's been a crappy couple of months. I wasn't planning on writing anything but maybe an author not until after everything was done, but after Saturday I had to do something to get my mind on something else than his imminent death. So there you go. It's not very long, and I can't promise anything as to when the next chapter will be out.**_  
_

**Sorry...**

* * *

_They had nearly reached the doors of the Hall when Aragorn quite literally ran into Legolas._

"_You are late" the elf stated, looking him in the eyes, an imperceptible movement in Ithilwen's direction. The young woman didn't notice it, but her brother did and he heard the reproach in his friend's voice._

_Then the elf smiled as he looked him over._

"_You look terrible" he said in the common tongue._

_Aragorn startled, taken aback by the aloof remark, before chuckling and giving the elf a one armed hug._

"_You might want this back" Legolas said quietly, handing him the Evenstar._

"_Hamon le" (Thank you)_

_Aragorn quieted at that, reaching for the pendant with a grateful smile, while his sister saw, from the corner of her eye, the aborted movement of Eowyn, who looked like she had been ready to run up to them until she saw the pendant. Her face fell as she stopped and contended herself with watching them from afar, and Hermione promised herself to have Aragorn talk to her as soon as this mess was over. But for now they needed to talk to Theoden._

* * *

"A great host, you say?" Theoden asked

Aragorn nodded. "All Isengard is emptied"

"How many? "

The answer to that question, however, shocked the King.

"Ten thousand strong at least"

"Ten thousand?!"

"It is an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of men. They will be here by nightfall." The Dunadan confirmed.

"Let them come" The King declared, his face set. "Rohan will not bow to the White Hand!"

* * *

Ithilwen watched from the shadows as the people of Rohan prepared for battles. Her heart broke when she saw young boys, barely old enough to ride a horse, being taken from their weeping mothers and equipped with whatever weapon they could find. There weren't enough soldiers, and even with the new additions to their forces, they would be badly outnumbered when facing the army that was coming for them. She dearly hoped that Gandalf would come through with his plan, and that he would manage to get Eomer and his men to Helm's Deep in time. Otherwise there would be nothing for them to return to.

They needed help, and they needed allies, _badly_. But where would they get them?

Deep in her thoughts, she didn't notice that she had followed the King and her friends outside until she started hearing the beginning of an argument.

Apparently, Gimli had felt it necessary to point out the differences between Uruk-haïs and normal orcs to the King, with his usual lack of subtility, which had, of course, angered the King.

"I have fought many wars, Master dwarf!" Theoden growled. "I know how to defend my own keep!"

Not for the first time, the Dunadan Princess found herself cursing the fact that so few women ever decided to take charge in times of crises. It would have been so much easier than dealing with testosterone-filled males. And, of course, it only got worse.

"They will break upon this fortress like water on rock!" The Horse-Master declared proudly as they walked on top of the walls. "Saruman's hordes will pillage and burn – we've seen it before! Crops can be re-sown, homes re-built. Within these walls... we will outlast them!"

"They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops or villages!" Her brother protested. "They come to destroy its people! Down to the last child!"

"_Be quiet Estel!"_ she snapped, noticing the worried looks the soldiers were sending them.

But Theoden was already replying, his voice a harsh whisper: "What would you have me do? Look at my men! Their courage hangs by a thread! If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end, as to be worthy of remembrance!"

"Send out riders, my lord!" Aragorn tried again, ignoring the glares she was sending him. "You must call for aid!"

She actually agreed with her brother on that point, but he should have used another way to tell the King about it. He seemed to forget that he wasn't yet the King of Gondor, and that even as such he would not have the right to order another monarch around like he was trying to do right now.

"And who will come? Elves? Dwarves?" Theoden asked, voice filled with sarcasm. "We are not so lucky in our friends as you! The old alliances are dead!"

"Gondor will answer!" Aragorn declared, and if it wasn't so ill-timed she would have congratulated him for actually showing faith in their people.

"Gondor? Where was Gondor when the West-fold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed around us?" The King snapped. "Where was Gon…" he shook his head before speaking again, his voice weary and tired. "No my lord Aragorn. We are alone."

As the King walked away, Ithilwen grabbed her brother by the ear and dragged him away to a secluded part of the fortress..

"_You and I are going to have a little chat, brother of mine"_ she growled in elvish. "_You made good points, but you really need to work on the manner in which you transmit them to people who are technically your superiors! You might be the rightful King of Gondor and Anor, Onooro, but you seem to forget that Theoden has been King of Rohan for forty years! He has something that you cruelly lack: experience! You might be used to ordering a group of Dunedains around, but Theoden has been taking care of an entire country for decades! He thinks about things you are not yet used to thinking about! Right now, your little ego-fight has sown unrest and worry inside our men. They already doubt our chances of victory in this battle; do not make our odds worse by confirming their fears! Next time, try using your brain before letting your pride get the better of you! You are a great general and leader, Estel, but you are not the one these soldiers should obey! Do not contest Theoden's authority in front of his men ever again, do you hear me? He is a great King, and will listen to advice if it is worded as such and not as an order!"_

She paused to take a breath and looked at her brother. He looked taken aback, but also slightly ashamed, which meant that her message had gone through.

"_You are a great man, brother, and one day you will be a great King. But for now, please try to work with Theoden instead of against him. We do not need a mutiny inside our troops right now!"_

He nodded.

"_I am sorry, Thelig…"_

"_I told you once and I will tell you again, Estel, I am not the one you need to apologize to."_

* * *

An hour later, as the soldiers were hurrying the women and children into the caves, and after Aragorn apologized to the King, they were joined by Gimli and Legolas, the latter of whom who was, rather unsuccessfully, trying to get them both to rest for a while.

"You are no use to us half-exhausted!" The elf said exasperatedly. "Aragorn, you nearly died and then rode to Helm's Deep without a pause! Ithilwen, you exhausted yourself putting these wards up! You need to rest! Both of you!"

She was about to reply when Eowyn's voice interrupted the conversation. The Shield-Maiden of Rohan was running towards them, her face angry.

"I am to be sent with the women into the caves!" She told them, eyes boring into Aragorn's as if begging him to change that.

But neither Ithilwen, nor her brother had any intention of going against Theoden's wishes when his niece was concerned.

"That is an honorable charge." He told her simply.

"To mind the children, to find food and bedding when the men return! What renown is there in that?" The young woman spat.

"My Lady, there may come a time for valor without renown. Who then will your people look to in the last defense?" The Dunadan tried to reason her, to no avail.

"Let me stand at your side!" she begged him.

"It is not in my power to command it" Aragorn refused again, turning to walk away.

But Eowyn would not be stopped.

"You do not command the others to stay!" She cried out. "They fight beside you because they would not be parted from you! Because they love you!" With a start, she realized what she had just said and was about to run away when Ithilwen's voice rang out, rooting her into place.

"We are no subjects of Theoden King, Eowyn Theodwynsdaughter. He cannot command us. You are however subject to his laws, and it is not in our right to go against your King's orders. Stop this childish behavior right now before you bring shame upon your name. You are a daughter of Kings, one of the last of Thengel's line. Should you brother and uncle die, it would be your turn to take on the crown and lead your people to safety. It is both an honor and a heavy duty you have to fulfill, not something you can throw away because you would rather fight and prove your valor! The King does not send you away because he doubts your prowess as a warrior; he is sending you away because he trusts you to be strong enough to do your duty to your people, **Shield-Maiden of Rohan!"**

Her words had cut through the air, her voice grim and stern, and the blonde woman could do nothing but listen.

"We fight because it is our duty to do so. We fight because our people can't. We do not fight for honor or glory. These cannot be found in war. We fight because we have to. My brother and I fight in Gondor's stead, for despite what your uncle might think the old alliances are not yet dead. Gimli stands for the dwarves, Legolas for the elves. We will fight to give your people a chance to survive, but they will need a strong leader to do that. We will do our duty, but we need you to do yours – can you do that, **Shield-Maiden?**"

Stunned and ashamed, the young woman nodded.

"Good. Then go and take your place. Hadrian will be joining you soon to take care of any injured."

Eowyn ran away.

"_That was… harsh"_ Aragorn noted.

"_But necessary. Her heart is in the right place, but she needs to realize that others depend on her."_

The others nodded and they made their way to the armory.

* * *

The view that greeted them there was, at least to Ithilwen, heartbreaking. Children and old men, most of them trembling with fear, waiting in line to get whatever weapon was available… Most of them would not survive the night.

"Farmers, ferriers, stable boys. These are no soldiers." Her brother whispered.

"Most have seen too many winters" Gimli nodded somberly.

"Or too few" Legolas muttered angrily. "Look at them. They're frightened. You can see it in their eyes."

His voice had risen slightly, and heads were turning in their directions. Once again, Ithilwen cursed her luck. Legolas was usually level-headed, and knew what such words could do to their soldiers' moral, but the ambient despair was getting to him. Elves were accurately attuned to emotions, and it was the men's worries that were coming out of his mouth.

He continued to rant, this time in elvish – thank the Valars for small favors, at least it would keep the would-be soldiers from understanding what he was saying.

"_And they should be! Three hundred... against ten thousand!"_

"_They have a better chance at defending themselves here than at Edoras…"_ Aragorn tried, having obviously learned his lesson from his sister's lecture.

"_Aragorn... they cannot win this fight! They are all going to die!" _The elf snapped.

"Then I shall die as one of them!" Aragorn yelled, switching back to the common tongue.

"Put yourself together, Legolas son of Thranduil!" Ithilwen's voice reasoned inside the armory, causing every head to turn in her direction. "It is not you that is speaking here, it is the worry and the fear that we all feel, deep down! But fear is not always a bad thing! Fear is what allows courage to rise! For what is courage if not being afraid of something and doing it anyway? I am scared, we all are. But the instant the enemy is at our door, that fear will be swallowed by courage and determination! For tonight we fight for our people! For tonight we fight for those who cannot! And maybe we will die tonight, but if we do it will be with our head held high and the corpses of our enemy at our feet, after buying enough time for the women and children to flee! For Rohan!"

A clamor rose from the crowd at her speech, a new determination shining on their faces. The Dunadan turned around sharply and left the room without a single glance at Legolas, her brother running after her. The elf made to follow them, but Gimli stopped him.

"Let them be. For now. We will see them soon enough."

* * *

They had barely left the armory that Hermione stumbled, her eyes glazing over as her brother hurried to her side.

* * *

_**The King, being dressed in his armor by Gammling. His face ashen and stern at the same time.**_

"_**Who am I, Gammling?"**_

"_**You are our King, Sire." Gammling, good old and reliable Gammling. A better second one could barely hope for – except maybe for Eomer.**_

"_**And do you trust your King?"**_

"_**Your men, my lord, will follow you to whatever end"**_

_**And they would. Rohirrims were loyal above all else, and they trusted their King to lead them either to victory or, should defeat be inevitable, to make their deaths meaningful and honorable. Such was their nature.**_

"_**To whatever end…"**_

_**Images flew by – orcs marching towards Helm's Deep, children crying in the caves, an old man getting a spear, a young boy being fitted for a helmet – as the King went on, his voice strangely calm, as if far away. **_

"_**Where is the horse and the rider?"**_

_**Frodo and Sam and Gollum and Faramir and a lake and fish**_

"_**Where is the horn that was blowing?"**_

_**The Horn of Gondor, broken in two, washing up on Osgiliath's shores, being found by Faramir.**_

" _**They have passed like rain on the mountain, like wind in the meadow."**_

_**Faramir's roar of pain and anger and despair as he holds the broken Horn tightly to his chest, tears rolling down his cheek. Boromir, he thinks, Boromir is dead. But he isn't, not yet.**_

"_**The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow."**_

_**Gandalf, riding alone, as fast as Shadowfax could run.**_

" _**How did it come to this?"**_

_**A group of hooded people, about two hundred of them, marching in their directions. A wisp of blond hair escaping from under their leader's hood. Allies?**_

* * *

As she returned to her senses, Ithilwen found herself whispering the words she had just heard her friend say.

"Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like wind in the meadow. The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow…"

At her brother's worried look, she smiled weakly.

"Frodo and Sam are alive" she told him. "Gollum still travels with them though, and it worries me… They have been found by the Rangers of Ithilien, Faramir has them for now… "

"Anything else?"

"Faramir thinks his brother is dead… I will have to find a way to tell him otherwise… I saw a group, maybe two hundred strong, they are marching to Helms Deep. They will be there before the orcs."

"Allies?"

"I think. They wore hooded cloaks, but their leader's hair was blond. Do you think…"

"Maybe. Galadriel has her mirror and Elrond has his own visions. They might have… Let's not get our hopes up too much. I suppose we will know soon enough. Will you be alright?"

"Yes. It shouldn't happen in battle, so I will be fine." She assured him, though she did consent to sitting down for a while.

Night was upon them already. All around them, men were sharpening their weapons, fastening pieces of old armor together so that they might protect them even a little. Somewhere to their left, Ithilwen spotted a young boy she recognized. Before she could call out to him, Aragorn beat her to it.

"Give me your sword" he asked the young boy who, though startled, hurriedly obeyed.

"What is your name?" the Heir of Isildur asked as he took the sword.

"Haleth" the boy began. "Son of Hama, my lord."

Hamma. The scout who had been the first casualty in the ambush. A man she had known for years. She had not been present for Haleth's birth, but had seen the boy when he was four. That would make him twelve.

"The men are saying, we will not live out the night" The sheer resignation and fear in the teenagers voice could be heard by all. "They say that it is hopeless"

"It is not them, but their fear that is talking" Ithilwen said calmly. "This is but the calm before the storm, the hour in which everything might seem hopeless. But once the battle begins, nothing is certain anymore. Once the battle begins, once we start to fight, the true valor of Rohan will shine through. Rohan is strong, Haleth son of Hamma. You are strong too, though you might not believe my words yet. But I knew your father well, and I know you will make him proud tonight, no matter what will happen."

Her words seemed to have risen his spirits somewhat. Aragorn stood up, testing the sword before handing it back to the young boy.

"This is a good sword, Haleth son of Hamma" he told him, putting an arm on his shoulder.

"There is always hope" he added softly, before letting the child go.

* * *

As the battle grow nearer and nearer, the Dunedain went to get prepared. Ithilwen replaced her deep blue long-sleeved shirt with a leather one that would protect her better. She did not like mail shirts, for she thought they hampered her movements too much, but she knew she would need some added layer of protection tonight. The grey plastron, a gift from the Valars, would be more than enough to protect her torso. She also put on some legs and armguards that had once belonged to Theodwyn when she had been her age, before joining her brother who was finishing getting ready. She entered the room just as Legolas was handing him his sword.

"We have trusted you this far and you have not led us astray" the elf was saying. "Forgive me. I was wrong to despair."

"_There is nothing to forgive, Legolas"_ Ithilwen assured him as she went to briefly hug him. "_It was not your despair talking"_

They were interrupted by the sound of shuffling chainmail from behind them. They turned around to see Gimli muttering in his beard.

"If I had time I would get this adjusted!" He complained, allowing the bottom of his chainmail shirt to fall, showing that it was way too big for him. "It's a little tight across the chest!"

That last sentence had them all chuckling, in spite of the circumstances.

Aragorn was about to say something when a horn was heard.

"That is no orc horn!" Legolas said.

"Not it isn't" Ithilwen confirmed, a bright smile dawning upon her face as she grabbed her sword and staff before running out of the room. "It is the Horn of Lorièn!"

* * *

She arrived in front of the doors at the exact same time as the King and Luna, the latter of whom had been tasked with guarding the former in case of a magical attack, just in time to see the arrival of the hooded people from her vision – led, as she had guessed when the horn had first sounded, by her friend Haldir.

Said elf stopped and bowed in front of Theoden King.

"How… how is this possible?" the King stuttered, not quite trusting his eyes.

"I bring word" the elf started after bowing to Ithilwen, "from Elrond of Rivendell and from the Lady of the Golden Woods. An alliance once existed between elves and men. Long ago we fought, and died, together. "

He was interrupted by the sounds of footsteps as Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli arrived. A faint smirk was visible on the elf's face as he turned to face them.

"We've come to honor that allegiance."

"_Mae Govannen, Haldir!" _Aragorn greeted as he ran down the stairs towards the elves.

Much to the latter's surprise, he grabbed the elven general in a quick hug.

"You are most welcome!" the Dunadan added as he let his friend go.

Haldir quickly greeted Legolas, before turning to face Theoden again.

"We are proud to fight alongside men once more" He said solemnly.

Of course, his dramatic moment was king of ruined when Ithilwen decided that she had waited long enough and went to hug him tightly… in front of his men.

Said elves maintained an impassible face, but many of them were chuckling inside. They had known the Dunadan for years, and given that Haldir had been the one tasked with her care whenever she came to Lorièn, that sort of greeting was expected, despite the tense situation they were in.

"_It is good to see you, Haldir"_ she whispered as she held him tightly. "_Tell your men to close their empathy as much as they can – there is a lot of fear and despair here, though your arrival has probably chased most of it away.."_

The elf nodded as she let him go before barking a command.

As she watched the elves take their positions on top of the walls, Ithilwen couldn't help the smile that was still plastered upon her face. The future didn't seem so grim now.

The old allegiance had been honored and renewed. Hope burned bright again.

Deep inside her, an old rhyme that she knew by heart started to sing again.

_**All that is gold does not glitter;**_

_**Not all those who wander are lost; **_

_**The old that is strong does not wither;**_

_**Deep roots are not reached by the frost;**_

_**From the ashes a fire shall be woken; **_

_**A light from the shadows shall spring;**_

_**Renewed will be the Blade that was Broken; **_

_**And the crownless again shall be King...**_

* * *

**Response to the Reviews:**

**Desi-Pari Alway**s: Loved that part too! And here comes Haldir, though you will still have to wait for the battle scene, sorry :/

**Blade Draco**: Thanks! I just couldn't see Ithilwen reacting calmly to his return... and given that she slapped Gandalf, Aragorn is lucky he was injured, exhausted and on a horse. She would have done much much worse if he had been on solid ground...

**LeonaMasha**:  
Hermione/Legolas: going slow... but it has started at least xD! Though in this chapter they fought a bit...  
Istari/immortality: to be truthful, I don't even remember if they were immortal or not in the books... I leant them to a friend of mine two years ago, and she lives in another country... But I think they kind of are. I mean they can be killed (Case in point, Saruman - both in the books and in the movies), but they don't really seem to age... or to die of old age at least. I don't know yet what will happen with Legolas and Hermione. I mean he's immortal, and she, as a dunadan, already had a long life span. Wizards in HP also seem to leave a long time... and now she's an Istar... I think she will be immortal, but both she and Legolas will probably leave for the Undying lands after Aragorn's death...  
Eowyn: ... I have problems with her character. I mean I like what she represents (strong woman) but at the same time... well you saw in this chapter. She wants to follow Aragorn, and forgets that she has duties to her people that should come first... And I still have to have someone tell her that Aragorn's engaged xD That's gonna be one akward conversation... Things will get better for her later on...  
The battle... will be next chapter, sorry!

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed, and once again sorry for the wait...**


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